When conversations turn to food security, women are often spoken about as beneficiaries. Rarely are they acknowledged as producers, planners, and decision-makers who hold food systems together.

Across rural landscapes, women sow seeds, preserve grain, manage livestock, and ensure that households eat—even in years when crops fail. Their contribution to food security and sustainability is not marginal. It is structural. Without women in agriculture, global food systems would simply not function.

Despite this, women continue to farm without recognition, land titles, or equal access to resources. As climate pressures intensify and food systems grow more fragile, acknowledging and strengthening women’s role in agriculture is no longer optional. Their role is essential to sustaining food security and sustainable agriculture.

This is a story about that invisible backbone and what happens when women are finally given space, support, and voice.

Why Food Security Cannot Be Separated from Gender

Food security goes beyond producing enough food. It is about access, nutrition, stability, and resilience over time. Sustainable food systems ensure that today’s needs are met without undermining tomorrow’s capacity to produce.

Globally, women make up a significant share of agricultural workers, especially in smallholder farming systems. In India, women are involved in nearly every stage of food production—from sowing and weeding to harvesting, storage, and processing. Yet the gender gap in agriculture remains stark.

Women farmers often lack:

This gap directly affects food security. Studies repeatedly show that when women farmers have equal access to resources, farm productivity improves, and household nutrition outcomes strengthen. Gender equality, food security, and sustainability are deeply linked.

Women’s Contributions to Food Security on the Ground

In rural India, women’s role in agriculture extends far beyond labor.

Women working in agriculture are often responsible for maintaining kitchen gardens, preserving seeds, managing household nutrition, and ensuring dietary diversity. Their knowledge of traditional crops and local ecosystems supports biodiversity conservation in ways formal systems often overlook.

Women in farming also play a critical role in adapting to climate stress. Through crop diversification, seed saving, and careful water use, women contribute to agriculture and did so long before the term entered policy vocabulary.

In households, women are the first to adjust food consumption during shortages to ensure that children and elders eat adequately. This “invisible” labor is central to nutrition security, even as it remains largely unrecognized.

When Empowerment Takes Root at the Grassroots

If women’s contributions are so central, why are they so often unsupported?

Part of the answer lies in how agricultural systems are designed around land ownership, market access, and credit structures, which have traditionally excluded women. Change begins when these systems are reimagined at the local level.

In Champawat district of Uttarakhand, such a reimagining is slowly unfolding.

Nestled between forests and hills, Champawat is rich in biodiversity but constrained by limited irrigation and wildlife pressures. With nearly 65 percent forest cover and only a small share of irrigated land, farming here has always been demanding. Crop depredation by wild animals, lack of modern inputs, and limited market access have made agriculture an uncertain livelihood.

What stands out in Champawat, however, is the way gender roles have evolved. Women work the fields, manage households, and increasingly step into leadership roles, and men participate in domestic responsibilities more openly than in many other regions.

This balance became the foundation for a different kind of agriculture intervention.

From Kitchen Gardens to Leadership Schools

Under a CSR-supported initiative implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation, agriculture in Champawat began to be viewed not just as production, but as an ecosystem.

Kitchen gardens were promoted to improve household nutrition and reduce dependency on markets. Women grew vegetables close to home, strengthening food security while supplementing income.

At the same time, leadership training programs for women were introduced—spaces where women not only learned farming techniques, but also how to speak in public forums, manage groups, and participate in decision-making.

Livestock management training added another layer, equipping women with skills in animal husbandry, dairy practices, and sustainable care, activities traditionally handled by women but rarely formalized or rewarded.

Together these initiatives created something rare: a system that recognized women not just as workers, but as farmers and leaders.

The Champawat Monal FPC: Women at the Center

A turning point came with the formation of the Champawat Monal Farmer Producer Company.

Built on regular community meetings and Farmer Interest Groups across fifty villages, the FPC was designed to support small and marginal farmers through better inputs, skills, and market access. The crucial component: women were not add-ons. They were central.

Today the company has more than 500 female shareholders.

The establishment of a modern nursery under the FPC provided access to high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and planting material, reducing risk and improving yields. Women farmers were trained in selecting crop varieties that could withstand climatic stress and pest pressures, ensuring uniform growth and better market prices.

For many women, this marked a shift not just in farming practice, but in personal identity.

Finding Voice Alongside Livelihood

Godavari Kaloni, a shareholder from Khedikot village, describes this change simply. Earlier, she saw herself only as a homemaker. Now she travels across villages, advising farmers on crop varieties, pest management, and fertilizer use.

Geeta Devi, who had earlier worked on a tea farm, speaks of overcoming her fear of public speaking through regular group meetings. These meetings, she says, gave her confidence to advocate sustainable agriculture practices among fellow farmers.

Pushpa Chaubey, working across four villages, now mobilizes women farmers to participate actively in discussions and decision-making. For her, economic independence and social confidence have become intertwined goals.

These women are not exceptions. They are indicators of what happens when empowerment is structured, sustained, and rooted in local realities.

The Barriers That Still Remain

Despite these advances, barriers persist.

Gender inequality in agriculture continues due to unequal land rights, limited access to credit, and their exclusion from formal extension services. Climate change further intensifies women’s vulnerability, as they are often the first to absorb the shocks from crop failure or water scarcity.

Without addressing these systemic issues, progress remains fragile.

Women-Led Innovation and Collective Solutions

What Champawat demonstrates is that women-led solutions are not limited to subsistence.

Through cooperatives, regenerative agriculture practices, and organic farming initiatives, women farmers are redefining what sustainable farming looks like. Women farmer cooperatives strengthen bargaining power, reduce costs, and enable collective learning.

Food waste reduction, seed preservation, and diversified cropping systems are often driven by women’s groups—quietly reshaping food systems from the ground up.

Scaling these models requires institutional backing, not reinvention.

The Path Forward

If food security and sustainability are the goals, empowering women in agriculture must be the strategy.

This means:

The Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Zero Hunger and Gender Equality, are not separate ambitions. They are mutually dependent.

The story unfolding in Champawat shows what is possible when women are recognized not as support systems, but as central actors in agriculture. The sacks they carry uphill are not just “produce.” They are proof of resilience, agency, and a future where food security is built on equality.

Priya Chaudhary
Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development

Priya Chaudhary is an expert in Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development with a focus on gender equity, social inclusion, and evidence-based change. With extensive experience in project management, storytelling, and qualitative research, she has worked on various NGO marketing and development projects.

The post Spotlight on the Role of Women Farmers in Food Security and Sustainability appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

Seventeen years is a journey marked by significant milestones and measured in trust built slowly over time, that has resulted in bountiful harvests, harnessed water, changed lives, and more.

Change doesn’t always move in straight lines, is often invisible, and always negotiated. Sustainable development to be realized must be led by the communities themselves.

Krishi Jyoti (enlightened agriculture), a partnership between Mosaic India Pvt. Ltd. and Mosaic Company for Sustainable Food Systems together with S M Sehgal Foundation, began in 2008 with a simple intention: to support farming families so they could grow better, earn more steadily, and live with dignity. With an overarching theory that agriculture is the center of rural life, and strengthening it can unlock change across many dimensions, Krishi Jyoti has grown alongside the communities where the work is done.

What began as a focused agricultural project expanded gradually into water management, better nutrition for women, supporting schoolchildren, and strengthening local institutions. The emphasis has remained on relevance, presence, and learning as conditions change. This is what seventeen years of sustainable development looks like on the ground.

Where the Work Took Root

In many villages, farming is more than a livelihood. It shapes food availability, school attendance, migration patterns, and community confidence. Krishi Jyoti’s early agriculture development efforts focused on everyday practices, building on what farmers were already doing and identifying small adjustments that reduce risk.

As the work expanded into regions across seven states, one reality became clear early on: no single approach works everywhere. Soil behaves differently. Rainfall patterns vary. Social relationships shift from village to village.

Rather than imposing uniform solutions, the project adapted to the needs. This flexibility allowed local action to align naturally with broader sustainable development goals.

Working with Small and Marginal Farmers

For small and marginal farmers, every decision carries weight.

A delayed monsoon, an unsuitable input, or a failed experiment can undo an entire season’s effort. With limited and fragmented landholdings, the margin for error is narrow. Land size directly influences how much risk a farmer can afford.

Krishi Jyoti chose to work alongside farmers to address these realities.

Instead of pushing for immediate adoption, farmers were encouraged to observe, compare, and decide. Learning occurred in the fields over the seasons, not through external instruction.

Challenges were discussed openly, including soil quality, long-standing traditional practices, and dependence on weather and timing.

Acknowledging these constraints helped to build trust with small farmers. Over time, that trust translated into willingness to try, adapt, and share their learning with others.

Tools, Technology, and the Capital Question

Tools change outcomes when they fit local realities.

Much agricultural equipment is designed for larger landholdings, which often limits their adoption by small farmers due to cost, maintenance, and usability. Krishi Jyoti focused on tools suited to small plots and encouraged shared use through local entrepreneurial farmers and groups.

Adoption was gradual. Confidence developed through training, peer learning, and repeated use. Comfort with new tools was built over time.

Along with the use of equipment came an important conversation about capital. A focus on soil health, planning and understanding input costs, and making informed choices reduced the need for borrowing money, which was a common last resort. In many cases, improved productivity reduced the need for high-risk borrowing altogether.

Water Management Required Patience

In several project areas, water scarcity was highly visible and deeply felt.

Borewells were dry. Ponds held water only briefly. Fields were left uncultivated because irrigation could not be assured. These long-standing challenges resisted quick solutions. Water management efforts focused on long-term thinking. These included community dialogue, collective responsibility, and structures designed to deliver results over years, not months.

These were not dramatic turning points.

But gradually, groundwater recharge began to show results. Borewells once abandoned showed signs of revival. Ponds retained water longer. Irrigation became more predictable. The lesson remained consistent: shared resources demanded shared accountability.

When Villages Began Deciding Together

Infrastructure alone cannot sustain change.

What strengthened outcomes over time was village-level decision-making. Through village development committees, communities discussed priorities, planned interventions, and reviewed progress collectively.

This shift made the difference.

Instead of waiting for direction, villagers began asking their own questions. What should come first? How should resources be managed? Who is responsible for upkeep? Sustainable development became less about projects and more about process.

Nutrition for Women and Everyday Health

Nutrition conversations did not begin with data; they began in kitchens.

Krishi Jyoti’s work around nutrition for women focused on practical understanding of what a balanced plate looks like, why dietary diversity matters, and how nutrition during pregnancy shapes long-term health.

Discussions were simple and grounded, without technical language, just shared knowledge and everyday examples.

Over time, these conversations led to small but lasting changes at home, healthier women and children, better food intake, and reliance on seasonal food availability and nutritional outcomes.

Such changes endured because they made sense.

Kitchen Gardens and Women in Agriculture

Kitchen gardens became one of the most grounded interventions across villages. They required minimal investment, space, seeds, and regular care. Families growing their own vegetables experienced immediate benefits:

Women in agriculture played a central role in sustaining these gardens. Many worked collectively, sharing seeds, exchanging ideas, and supporting one another. This collaboration built confidence, not only in food production, but in public participation.

The kitchen garden became more than a source of nutrition. It became a shared space for learning.

Children, Education, and Changing Environments

When livelihoods stabilize, other shifts begin.

As water access improved and farming outcomes became more reliable, families were better able to prioritize education. By upgrading school infrastructures as part of the project, children attended school more consistently, and learning improved. Schools became spaces of engagement rather than obligation.

Children spoke about enjoying school, about playing, learning, and feeling encouraged.

All these changes were enhanced by improved stability across the household.

Local Work, Global Meaning

Krishi Jyoti’s work is rooted firmly in villages, but the outcomes reflect the intent of global sustainable development goals.

Food security. Water access. Empowered women. Community participation. Health. Education.

When communities experience tangible improvements, global frameworks find relevance naturally.

This alignment has been quiet, organic, and deeply contextual.

Looking Ahead

Seventeen years of work through the Krishi Jyoti project has demonstrated that sustainable development is built through patience, humility, and partnership.

There are no shortcuts. No universal solutions. Only steady effort, shared learning, and the willingness to stay present through uncertainty.

Looking ahead, the focus of Krishi Jyoti remains unchanged. Supporting farmers. Strengthening nutrition for women. Protecting water resources. Enabling communities to shape their own paths.

Progress will continue gradually, one village, one season, one harvest at a time.

About the Author

Arti Manchanda Grover
Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation

Arti Manchanda Grover, Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation, where she leads communication strategies, media outreach, and storytelling initiatives that support impactful rural development programs. With experience of more than 18 years in the nonprofit sector, she brings strong expertise in corporate social responsibility, community media, and development communication.

The post Celebrating 17 Years of Sustainable Development Success with Krishi Jyoti appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) has been working since 1999 with a mission to strengthen community-led development initiatives across rural India, leading to positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes. SMSF partners with corporates, treating each partnership as a shared-value endeavor where corporates bring CSR budgets and strategic mandates, and SMSF generates rural know-how and implementation capacity backed by community trust.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s Approach to Partnerships

For corporates seeking long-term impact across rural development, S M Sehgal Foundation has emerged as a partner of choice, given its rich experience in the rural development sector, a strong expert team, and transparency and credibility in the sector.

Going the Extra Mile: Innovation, Accountability and Long-Term Partnerships

S M Sehgal Foundation work goes beyond implementation, leading communities to take ownership of the work results. The objective is to make all SMSF partnerships and collaborations robust with key components:

Over to You

Within India’s evolving CSR landscape, companies seek impact, alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, and credible partnerships beyond compliance. S M Sehgal Foundation provides a proven model rooted in rural transformation that addresses water security, agriculture development, women’s empowerment, better futures for schoolchildren and rural livelihoods. The SMSF approach aligns CSR with national priorities, builds shared value, and ensures measurable outcomes through long-term, community-owned projects.

Partnering with SMSF enables corporates to move beyond traditional philanthropy, creating sustainable development partnerships that drive lasting and scalable change across rural India.

About the Author

Arti Manchanda Grover
Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation

Arti Manchanda Grover, Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation, where she leads communication strategies, media outreach, and storytelling initiatives that support impactful rural development programs. With experience of more than 18 years in the nonprofit sector, she brings strong expertise in corporate social responsibility, community media, and development communication.

The post How S M Sehgal Foundation Works With Corporate Partners for Sustainable Impact appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have emerged as a strong support system for India’s small and marginal farmers. By coming together under one umbrella, farmers get access to collective bargaining power, better markets, and modern practices. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, India aims to create 10,000 new FPOs by 2027 to empower rural communities and improve farmers’ income security. This highlights the government’s focus on farmer-led institutions as a pathway to sustainable growth.

An FPO is essentially a collective of farmers registered under the Companies Act. It allows farmers to pool resources, share risks, and market their produce at better prices. Through this system, small-scale farmers, often left behind in the open market, gain a stronger voice. FPOs also play a key role in providing inputs, training, and access to financial support.

Many people often confuse FPOs with Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs). While both serve farmer interests, the difference lies in their legal structure. An FPC is a registered company formed under the Companies Act, whereas an FPO can be registered under different legal forms, including cooperatives or societies. In short, every FPC is an FPO, but not every FPO is an FPC.

Why FPOs Matter in Indian Agriculture?

Smallholders struggle with fragmented landholdings and buyer exploitation. FPOs unite them under a common banner – collectively negotiating prices, securing supplies, and accessing credit. Research notes that FPOs aim “to solve the problems encountered by small and marginal farmers, especially access to capital, technical improvements, and inputs and markets.” (Source: Nature ). States like Maharashtra and Bihar have seen surging FPO growth thanks to these advantages (Source: JSRR ).

What are the Common Challenges Faced by FPOs

The reality is not rosy. Common challenges include:

Strengthening Governance

Strong governance breeds trust and efficiency. Clear member roles, regular audits, and annual strategy reviews help. Village-level farmers interest groups can feed into these structures, amplifying transparency. Training leadership teams in accounting, decision-making, and stakeholder communication is essential. This not only strengthens FPO operations but helps build the farmer producer company into a trusted entity.

Power of Federations

Individually, FPOs are small. Federations bring scale. Grouping multiple FPOs into federated structures improves access to capital, opens new markets, and enables bulk branding. Federations consolidate produce, reduce marketing costs, and attract larger buyers, amplifying FPO business and its viability.

Embracing Digitization

Digital tools can be a game-changer. Web platforms – like ONDC – allow FPOs to sell value-added goods directly. For instance, nearly 5,000 FPOs have listed their products via ONDC with promising sales from commodities like millet, honey, and GI-tagged turmeric. Digitization also helps in performance tracking, transparency, and capacity building. Boosting digital literacy among members is crucial to modernize FPO systems.

Women-Led FPOs: A Transformative Force

Women-led FPOs are gaining recognition. In Karnataka, for instance, 336 FPOs are functional, many fully run by women. That includes the Mahila FPOs with strong regional membership. Women leadership spurs inclusive growth, particularly in rural markets and decision-making (Source: The Times of India). Boosting women participation magnifies benefits to households, communities, and wider agrarian systems.

Sustainable Growth Pathways

To ensure long-term viability, FPOs must embrace sustainable practices: climate-resilient farming, organic produce, crop diversification, and value addition. Branding with GI tags, like turmeric and mango, adds value. For example, FPOs in Odisha exported mangoes directly to Europe, bypassing intermediaries https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/50-quintals-of-balangir-mangoes-exported-to-europe/articleshow/121554301.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com. UP’s public–private initiative supports FPOs with cold storage, grading infrastructure – all vital for sustainable growth (Source: The Times of India).

Policy & Institutional Support

India’s government has launched schemes like the Formation of 10,000 FPOs, led by SFAC, NABARD, and SFAC, assembling nearly 8.3 lakh small farmers into over 800 FPOs by 2019. Institutional bodies such as SFAC support capacity building and professionalization. UP recently created an FPO cell under a state-level unit to deliver tailored business training to FPOs (Source: The Times of India).

Sustainable Growth in Action (Summary Table)

Case study: Vrishabhavati Agriculture Farmer Producer Company

The story of Vrishabhavati Agriculture Farmer Producer Company in Karnataka illustrates both the challenges and the transformation possible with the right support.

Initial Struggles

The FPO, formed with 300 members and a corpus of ₹3,00,000, struggled to mobilise farmers due to poor awareness of FPO operations and sustainable farming practices. Farmers associated membership only with the ₹1,000 share contribution, expecting seasonal inputs in return, while still depending on traditional cultivation methods.

Interventions and transformation

In 2021, the S M Sehgal Foundation, with CSR support from the Walmart Foundation, began working with the FPO under the Bolstering Farmer Producer Organizations project. Regular training, demonstrations, and exposure visits introduced farmers to scientific agricultural practices. For example:

Building Sustainable Business

The FPO overcame the challenge of lacking a business plan by setting up multiple income streams:

With a turnover of ₹35 lakhs in the last financial year, the FPO’s operations now serve as a model of resilience.

Increasing Women’s Participation

Through apiculture, goatery, sheep rearing, agarbatti-making, and polyhouse farming of capsicum, women farmers were empowered with skills and income opportunities. For example, capsicum grown in a polyhouse worth ₹32 lakhs is expected to generate ₹25-30 lakhs in business.

Key Lessons from the Case

Over to You

To truly strengthen farmer producer organisations, we must align governance, federations, digitization, women leadership, and sustainable practices. Backed by policy support and institutional ecosystems, FPOs can drive inclusive growth, empower small farmers, and ensure food security. Strengthening the FPO, for real.

Priya Chaudhary
Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development

Priya Chaudhary is an expert in Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development with a focus on gender equity, social inclusion, and evidence-based change. With extensive experience in project management, storytelling, and qualitative research, she has worked on various NGO marketing and development projects.

The post Strategies to Strengthen FPOs: Federations, Digitization, and Sustainable Growth appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

According to Chegg, sustainability is “Balancing the requirements of today without jeopardizing the capability of forthcoming generations to fulfill their own necessities.

Sustainability and sustainable development

Sustainability aims to preserve natural and physical resources, ensuring their availability for the future. Sustainability is vital for development as it safeguards natural resources for future generations. Careless resource usage leads to depletion, hindering a country’s development progress. Types of sustainable development include environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability.

What is the main goal of sustainable development?

To achieve a harmonious balance between economic advancement, social justice, and environmental stewardship for long-term prosperity.

Three pillars of sustainability for development

The concept of the Three Pillars of Sustainability offers a popular framework for understanding sustainable development. This model highlights the essential components of environmental, social, and economic factors in discussions about sustainability.

Environmental sustainability

This pillar underscores the significance of natural resources and biodiversity in sustaining life on our planet. It emphasizes the need to preserve and protect our environment for the well-being of current and future generations.

Social sustainability

This aspect focuses on fostering social structures, promoting well-being, and achieving harmony within communities, addressing challenges such as poverty, conflict, and injustice, emphasizing the importance of social equity and cohesion.

Economic sustainability

This is the capacity of an economy to grow and thrive over time. Because financing is crucial for sustainable initiatives, economic sustainability is vital. Financial viability and a strong economic foundation are both needed to support sustainable development efforts.

Why Is Sustainability Important for Development?

We’ve explored various definitions of sustainability and the tools used globally to measure our impact on the environment, societies, and economies. But what makes sustainability so crucial for development?

A few reasons:

What are sustainable development goals?

In 2015, the United Nations issued a global challenge. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals. This ambitious agenda serves as a universal call to action, aiming to eradicate poverty, protect our planet, and ensure prosperity and peace for all by 2030.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are interconnected, acknowledging the ripple effect of actions across different areas. They emphasise a holistic approach to development, balancing social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Countries around the world have pledged to prioritize progress for the most disadvantaged populations. The SDGs aim to achieve a future free from poverty, hunger, diseases, and gender discrimination.

Fulfilling these goals requires the collective ingenuity, expertise, technology, and financial resources of all members of society. Only through a collaborative global effort can we achieve a sustainable future for all.

Objectives of Sustainable Development Goals

This version uses strong verbs, focuses on the positive outcomes, and emphasizes the global nature of the SDGs.

To witness sustainable development around you, in your city, country, etc., you need top rural development NGOs to intervene.
Why?

Top sustainable development NGOs bring expertise, resources, and innovation crucial for rural development. With their experience, funding from the government or corporations, and community engagement, they drive holistic initiatives tailored to rural needs, fostering sustainable growth, empowering communities, and advocating for policy changes essential for long-term development and well-being.

Which is the top sustainable rural development NGO in India?

S M Sehgal Foundation

The mission of S M Sehgal Foundation is to enhance community-driven development efforts, fostering beneficial social, economic, and environmental transformations in rural India. Our vision is to empower every individual in rural India to lead a secure, prosperous, and dignified life.

The Sustainable Approach Toward Rural Development

Despite significant funding for rural development programs in India, from government, businesses, and charities, these efforts fall short due to problems getting them to the people who need them most. A lack of information sharing and limited involvement from local communities are the main roadblocks. Village leaders often struggle to run these programs effectively because they don’t have enough information, skills, or resources. This is especially true for rural women, who face additional challenges due to limited education and lack of knowledge about health, finances, and self-confidence.

Rural women are particularly disadvantaged due to significant gender gaps in education and skill development. They often possess limited knowledge regarding health and hygiene, financial security, and generally lack confidence, which exacerbate the challenges they face in contributing to village development.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s Local Participation and Sustainability Program ensures the projects’ long-term success. Sustainability is seen as an ongoing process where communities gain skills and confidence throughout a project and beyond. The program works to make people invested in the project by showing them the advantages it brings and encouraging communities to actively participate and contribute resources to keep the improvements going. Additionally, the program helps village councils (gram panchayats) tap into government funding and subsidized programs to support the upkeep of the project’s result. The ultimate goal is for communities to take charge of their village’s development and ensure the project’s benefits continue well after its implementation.

Sihri-Singalheri Panchayat, Punhana block in the Nuh district of Haryana, had two village chaupals, one each in Sihri and Singalheri villages. Both were in a dilapidated condition so that local people were not able to utilize them. As a result, the local community had trouble organizing meetings and training to discuss matters pertaining to village development.

What Actions Were Taken?

A CSR project implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation was initiated in May 2022. One of the activities of this project was to set up resource centers in Sihri and Singalheri villages. By the end of 2022, the two unused village chaupals were upgraded into resource centers, creating a stimulating environment, particularly for women and children. A Village Development Committee (VDC) was formed in the village, involving active community members to monitor project activities and take ownership of village development. Regular capacity-building sessions on village development and government programs are held in upgraded resource centers.

The post Understanding sustainability and its importance for development appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

Kitchen gardens have immense potential to establish a sustainable model ensuring food security and diversity, as well as creating an alternative income for resource-poor rural households. In the vast tapestry of rural landscapes, a small yet powerful movement is taking root—kitchen gardens. These pint-sized patches of greenery are not just about growing vegetables; they represent a sustainable practice that holds the promise of transforming lives in rural areas.

A kitchen garden, often referred to as a vegetable or herb garden, is a small plot of land cultivated near or around homes. It is purposefully designed to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs that can be used for household consumption. Kitchen gardens are scalable, making them feasible even in limited spaces, and they empower individuals to take charge of their food production.

Kitchen gardens emerge as powerful instruments of empowerment for rural women, offering a transformative blend of sustainability and myriad benefits. These small but potent plots of cultivated land not only provide women with a means to contribute to their household’s nutrition but also serve as a source of income generation. By growing diverse fruits, vegetables, and herbs, women can ensure a steady supply of fresh, locally sourced produce, enhancing dietary diversity , good health, and well-being of their families.

Read more about SMS Foundation’s efforts towards Agricultural Development here

The sustainable practices inherent in kitchen gardening, such as the use of organic waste for fertilization and water-efficient cultivation, not only reduce environmental impact but also empower women with valuable agricultural skills. As this produce is sold or traded, income generation, breaking barriers to economic participation and contributing to the overall resilience of their communities become key factors. In essence, kitchen gardens become a catalyst for empowerment, fostering a cycle of dietary diversity, improved quality of life, and source of additional income for rural women.

How are Kitchen Gardens Sustainable?

Sustainability is at the heart of kitchen gardens. These micro-farms contribute to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in several ways:

Benefits of Kitchen Gardens:

Read more about our Foundation’s Farmer Field Schools ‘Learning by Doing’ philosophy here

How Can Rural Women Benefit?

Kitchen gardens play a pivotal role in empowering rural women in various ways. Kitchen gardens serve as dynamic platforms for the multifaceted empowerment of rural women, ushering in transformative changes across economic, health, and skill dimensions.

Firstly, the cultivation and subsequent sale of excess produce from kitchen gardens provide rural women with a direct avenue for additional income. This may, in return elevate their individual status within the family but also contributes to the overall economic resilience of their communities.

Secondly, as primary caregivers, women take center stage in ensuring their families’ well-being. Kitchen gardens become a source of fresh, diverse, and nutritionally rich produce, significantly impacting the health outcomes of family members. By reducing reliance on store-bought, often processed foods, these gardens become cornerstones of preventive healthcare.

Moreover, the act of engaging in gardening activities itself serves as a powerful tool for skill enhancement. Women acquire hands-on experience in agricultural practices, fostering a deeper understanding of cultivation techniques, crop cycles, and resource management. In essence, kitchen gardens transcend mere cultivation; they become catalysts for holistic empowerment, equipping rural women with the tools and resources to shape a more sustainable and resilient future for themselves and their families.

Contributions by The S M Sehgal Foundation

The S M Sehgal Foundation is at the forefront of promoting sustainable practices in rural areas, with a focus on empowering communities. The foundation recognizes the transformative potential of kitchen gardens and actively works towards their implementation in various regions.

Stories of Impact:

In 2017, S M Sehgal Foundation distributed seed kits, consisting of ten types of vegetable seeds, to almost 600 families in Samastipur and Kalyanpur blocks of district Samatipur, Bihar. The cost of one vegetable-seed kit is Rs 135. The kit consisted of the following crops; Bhindi (Lady Finger), Lauki (Bottle Gourd), Baingan (Brinjal), Barbatti (Cow Pea), Kheera (Cucumber), Lal Saag (Amaranth), Mooli (Raddish), Karela (Bitter Gourd), Shalgam (Turnip) and Nenua (Ridge Gourd).

Santo Devi, a beneficiary of Sehgal Foundation’s kitchen garden initiative and a resident of Bedoulia village in Samastipur says, “Apart from an increase in income, the kitchen garden initiative also helped me to ensure food security and improve the nutrition status of my family. Regular intake of nutrient rich vegetables like Bhindi, Lauki and Kheera increase energy levels and efficiency in work.” Another beneficiary, Phulan Devi, Ajna village, Kalyanpur block mentions, “Vegetables like Cucumber, Lady Finger, Bitter Gourd grew in abundance in my backyard garden. I sold the surplus produce in the local market and earned Rs 6000 which was used to meet some of my household expenses.”

Another beneficiary, Amina is a resident of Gabanspur village, who has a family of 14, and owns 3 acres of land. She had been struggling with poor health since long and falls ill almost every month. Doctors consistently recommended that she should increase her intake of green leafy vegetables, but because of her low income made it became difficult for her to afford adequate quantity of these healthy ingredients. Amina attended a training program on the role of kitchen gardens in improving household nutrition in 2022 conducted by S M Sehgal Foundation as a part of a CSR supported village development project. During the training, Amina was taught about the importance of growing healthy vegetables in the empty space around the courtyard of her house. Subsequently, she was provided with seeds of various vegetables, including spinach, fenugreek, coriander, brinjal, radish, carrot, tomato, beetroot, cauliflower, among others. She planted these in a 30 x 30 sq.ft. plot as her personal kitchen garden and successfully implemented the knowledge she learned during her training to grow multiple vegetables with minimum effort. Now Amina is able to cook balanced meals including both macro and micro nutrients on a daily basis for her family from vegetables grown by her, and she feels more energetic than before. She doesn’t have to invest additional cash to restore the balance of nutrients in her daily meal plans which makes the solution affordable and long-lasting for her family.

Amina says, “Through the capacity building sessions and the kitchen garden demonstration organised as a part of Project Vriddhi, I learned about the importance of wholesome nutrition for good health, and the skills required to manage a kitchen garden. Its positive impact has brought my family much joy and has improved the quality of life as a whole”.

Read more about the impact of S M Sehgal Foundation through Kitchen Gardens here

In the grand tapestry of rural development, kitchen gardens emerge as vibrant threads, weaving a story of sustainability, empowerment, and growth. As organizations like the S M Sehgal Foundation continue to sow the seeds of positive change, the impact of kitchen gardens is poised to blossom, transforming rural landscapes and cultivating a future that is both green and sustainable.

About the Author

Ms. Debika Goswami
Senior program lead, Local Participation and Sustainability, S M Sehgal Foundation

She has around 15 years of experience with a demonstrated history of leading various rural development programs. Thematic areas of work include local participation and sustainability, women empowerment, nutrition and sanitation management, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management, among others. Over the years, she has been engaged in partnership management, program management, end-to-end project planning, implementation and monitoring. She has served as a member of the Gender Committee at S M Sehgal Foundation from 2016-18. She has a master’s Degree in Modern History from Presidency College, University of Calcutta, and another one in ‘Non-Farm Activities and Rural Development in Developing Countries’ from the University of Rome, La Sapienza.

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Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) is focused on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The United Nations adopted this goal as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, recognizing that education is a fundamental human right and a key driver of sustainable development. SDG 4 aims to ensure all individuals have access to quality education and the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The goal is also to eliminate gender disparities in education and promote opportunities for lifelong learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of quality education and the need for innovative approaches to ensure continued learning in the face of unprecedented challenges. The achievement of SDG 4 is essential for the personal development and well-being of individuals and the social and economic progress of communities and nations.

What Are the problems being faced by India in achieving SDG 4?

India must address the following challenges to achieve SDG 4 and ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Several challenges are faced in achieving SDG 4:

What Are Some Initiatives Taken by the Indian Government to Achieve SDG 4?

The Indian government has implemented several initiatives to achieve SDG 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Some of the key initiatives include:

These initiatives demonstrate the Indian government’s commitment to achieving SDG 4 and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all. However, more efforts are needed to address the challenges that persist in the education system and to ensure that all children have access to quality education.

Corporations can help achieve SDG 4 by leveraging their technologies and innovation to create new educational platforms and tools that will reach a wider audience, especially those in remote and underserved areas. Corporate partnerships with government agencies and nonprofit organizations will create a powerful collaboration that will lead to sustainable and scalable educational programs. The private sector can also provide funding for research and development of new educational models that can improve learning outcomes and reduce the cost of education.

Collaborations to Achieve SDG 4 In India

Corporate interventions have the potential to significantly impact and promote education by leveraging resources, expertise, and networks to address educational challenges. Many corporations recognize that investing in education is a social responsibility as well as a strategic business move that will create a skilled and productive workforce for the future. They can play a crucial role in promoting rural education in India and contributing to the achievement of SDG 4. They can do this by partnering with NGOs, government agencies, and other stakeholders to implement education initiatives that focus on enhancing the quality of education, improving school infrastructure, and increasing access to education.

Corporations can provide funding, resources, and expertise to support education initiatives in rural areas. They can also help to design and implement innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by rural schools, such as improving teacher training and introducing digital learning tools.

Corporations can also contribute to the development of sustainable education models that can be scaled up and replicated in other parts of the country. By partnering with local communities, corporates will help to create a sense of ownership and sustainability around education initiatives.

Hamari Paathshaala (2018–2021)

Implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation in partnership with the Power Grid Corporation of India, Hamari Paathshaala provides quality education to children in remote and underserved areas of Haryana, India, by improving school infrastructure and introducing digital learning tools.

The project transformed the lives of children in the villages of Basduda and Gudha. Prior to the intervention, children in these villages attended school under the shade of trees due to the lack of proper school buildings. The conditions were not conducive to learning, and many children dropped out of school due to the difficulties they faced.

Through this, S M Sehgal Foundation and Power Grid Corporation of India have built new school buildings, furnished them with furniture and digital learning tools, and provided teacher training to enhance the quality of education. The new infrastructure and learning tools have transformed the learning environment for children, providing them with access to quality education and better learning opportunities. It has also had a significant, positive impact on the children’s academic performance and attendance rates. The project has helped to create a sense of community ownership and involvement in the education of children in the villages.

Transforming Rural Government Schools

S M Sehgal Foundation, a sustainable rural development NGO in India, works to improve the quality of education in rural areas of the country. The foundation has been working in partnership with local governments and communities to transform the infrastructure and educational outcomes of these schools.

Challenges faced by rural government schools in India include inadequate infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, and low educational outcomes. S M Sehgal Foundation has been addressing these challenges through a range of interventions, including infrastructure development, teacher training, and community engagement.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s approach to transforming rural government schools involves working closely with local communities and governments to identify the specific needs of each school and developing tailored interventions to address those needs. The foundation has also been focusing on enhancing the capacity of teachers through training programs and developing teaching and learning materials that are relevant and accessible to rural contexts.

S M Sehgal Foundation has helped rural schools make improvements with respect to educational outcomes, increased enrollment, and the creation of a positive learning environment for students. The foundation’s sustainable approach involves building the capacity of local communities and governments to continue driving the transformation of rural government schools.

The rural development NGO places significance on education in driving development and on reducing poverty in rural communities. S M Sehgal Foundation’s work in transforming rural government schools has a positive impact on the lives of rural communities in India, by improving educational outcomes and creating opportunities for social and economic mobility.

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SGD 4, or Sustainable Development Goal 4, is one of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. The goal of SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The 10 targets for ensuring quality education

Target 4.1: Free Primary and Secondary Education

Ensure that by 2030, all children, both girls and boys, have access to free, equitable, and high-quality primary and secondary education that leads to meaningful and effective learning outcomes.

Target 4.2: Equal Access to Quality Pre-Primary Education

By 2030, guarantee that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education to prepare them for primary education.

Target 4.3: Equal Access to Affordable Technical, Vocational, and Higher Education

By 2030, ensure that everyone, regardless of gender, has equal access to affordable and high-quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university education.

Target 4.4: Increase Relevant Skills for Financial Success

By 2030, significantly boost the number of young people and adults equipped with relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, necessary for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.

Target 4.5: Eliminate Discrimination in Education

By 2030, remove all forms of discrimination in education, ensure gender equality, and provide equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities, indigenous communities, and children in disadvantaged situations.

Target 4.6: Achieve Universal Literacy and Numeracy

By 2030, ensure that all young people and a substantial proportion of adults, both male and female, attain literacy and numeracy skills.

Target 4.7: Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship

By 2030, make certain that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills required to foster sustainable development. This includes education that promotes sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and an appreciation of cultural diversity and the role of culture in sustainable development.

Target 4.8: Build and Upgrade Inclusive and Safe Schools

Develop and enhance educational facilities that are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of children, individuals with disabilities, and all genders. Provide safe, non-violent, and effective learning environments for all.

Target 4.9: Expand Higher Education Scholarships for Developing Countries

By 2020, significantly increase the availability of scholarships for students from developing countries, especially those from the least developed countries, small island developing states, and African nations, to enroll in higher education programs. These programs include vocational training, information and communications technology, technical, engineering, and scientific disciplines in both developed and other developing countries.

Target 4.10: Increase the Supply of Qualified Teachers in Developing Countries

By 2030, greatly expand the number of qualified teachers by enhancing international cooperation for teacher training, particularly in developing countries, including the least developed countries and small island developing states.

What progress have we made so far?

Although strides have been made toward achieving the 2030 education targets, ongoing efforts are essential to overcome remaining challenges and guarantee that quality education is available to everyone, ensuring no one is left behind.

From 2015 to 2021, there was an upward trend in global completion rates for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. However, the pace of progress during these years was significantly slower than in the preceding 15-year period.

In the Indian context, SGD 4 is particularly significant given the country’s large population and its commitment to providing education for all. One of the main challenges is the quality of education, particularly in rural areas. There is also a significant gender gap in education, with girls having lower enrollment rates than boys. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the existing inequalities in education, with millions of students being unable to attend school due to school closures and a lack of access to digital learning resources.

What Are the Challenges to the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals –the Indian Context?

Sustainable Development Goal 4 focuses on providing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Some of the main issues to achieve SDG 4:

Initiatives Taken by the Indian Government to Achieve SDG4?

S M Sehgal Foundation and its Contribution Toward Achieving SDG4

S M Sehgal Foundation is a sustainable rural development NGO in India that promotes sustainable development solutions for rural communities. The NGO focuses on creating sustainable solutions to address the challenges faced by rural communities in India, such as poverty, lack of education, and limited access to resources, by providing them with access to basic amenities such as clean water, sanitation, digital and life skills education, and healthcare.

The Transformation Unfolds

In 2020–2021, a school in Manchi, Bhandari, with a registered enrollment of 237 students, faced significant challenges due to its poor infrastructure. Out of the five rooms in the school, two were half-constructed and unusable, with one reserved for staff members. Students were forced to study in the remaining two rooms or sit outside under the trees. Classrooms lacked basic furniture and electricity. The school’s hand pump for drinking water was shared among the students and staff. The dysfunctional toilets made it difficult for students to attend school regularly, and they commonly either went home or used the open area.

Prathmik Vidyalaya Ward Number 1, another school in Bhandari village, faced similar issues. With a registered enrollment of 130 students, the school had only four rooms, with one reserved for the staff. Students used the remaining three rooms or studied outside under the trees. The school had only one hand pump for drinking water, which was shared by the staff and students. These schools catered to other primary schools that lacked proper infrastructure.

To address these issues and improve the infrastructure of the government schools in Bhandari Panchayat, Sitamarhi district, Bihar, S M Sehgal Foundation collaborated with PTC Foundation and Power Finance Corporation Limited under their CSR initiative to implement Hamari Paathshaala (2018–2021). The initiative provided the schools with intact classrooms, safe drinking water, working toilets, solar-powered energy, and digital smart classrooms. The school transformations have had a positive impact on the students and teachers, providing a better learning environment with enough classrooms, furniture, functional toilets, and smart classes. The BALA concept, which uses visual art to strengthen language, communication, and numerical skills, and connect students with nature and the environment, has further enhanced the learning experience.

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Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was a global initiative started in 2000 with the main objectives being the eradication of poverty and hunger, disease, and promotion education in rural India amongst others. A notable effort, the MDGs set the ball rolling and drove progress in key areas. A global movement was witnessed and substantial progress was achieved in the areas of access to water and sanitation, among others.

Thereafter, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by nations under the aegis of the UN with the objective of fast-tracking the achievements of the MDGs and putting up a framework for a set of universal goals to tackle environmental, and economic challenges facing the world.

All the 17 SDGs are integrated—that is, they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The underlying commitment of the SDGs also looks to create a global commitment to permanently end poverty, albeit with the progress that is sustainable and safe.

Goal no 6 of the SDGs specifically recognised the need to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. It is an accepted fact that availability and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental to preserving the health and well-being of millions. The idea was to maximise reach to those who were bereft of water since they lived in remote areas where water was scarce or polluted. This goal aimed to achieve universal and equitable access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, end open defecation and eliminate dumping by expanding international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries.

Issues In Fixing India’s Wastewater Management And Sanitation

India is a large country and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. However, its track record on basic sanitation leaves a lot to be desired. Open defecation is an endemic problem and people relieve themselves behind trees, by roadsides, and on railway tracks and river banks. A substantial part of the urban population also lacks decent toilet facilities. With untreated solid waste being dumped into freshwater rivers and lakes, the problem keeps multiplying and is leading to polluted water sources besides infection and disease. The reality is grim and there are several reasons that this could be attributed. Some of these are –

Progress In Addressing Issues In India

The government of India realised that the changing landscape of India was leading to an insurmountable problem with respect to sanitation. With rampant consumerism and societal divide came increased waste generation leading to compromised sanitation practices. Huge landfills adorned the outskirts of urban India and the rural areas grappled with issues emanating from open defecation, lack of wastewater management, drainage system, and poor sanitation awareness.

The Government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014 under which all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States, and Union Territories in India declared themselves “open-defecation free” (ODF) by 2 October 2019.

About 100 million toilets were constructed in rural India and statistically, India has now achieved ODF status. The initiative has now moved on to the next phase i.e ODF-Plus to reinforce ODF practices and management of solid and liquid waste in villages.

To address sanitation issues in Rural India, The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India launched the 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029). This initiative looks at achieving a situation where everyone uses a toilet and every village has access to solid and wastewater management. The contribution of development partners in this endeavour is also a focus area and their role is being recognised going forward.

The results are there to see. A report by the Joint Monitoring Programme on water, sanitation, and hygiene by the World Health Organization and UNICEF released on July 1, 2021, found that India achieved the largest drop in open defecation since 2015 in terms of absolute numbers.

Issues Remain

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)’s surveyed toilet coverage and use at the household level in the report ‘Drinking water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Housing Condition’ and ‘Survey of Persons with Disabilities from July 2018 through December 2018. The ‘draft’ report, pegged toilet coverage in India at only 75 percent. Close to 80 percent of those were being used. The findings were divergent from the government’s claim of being ODF-free. The report found that households did not use toilets regularly despite building them. The major reason for this was the non-availability of water. Some say that the actual number of toilets built is inflated. The government gives a grant of Rs. 12000 to a household to construct a toilet. However, the construction was not verified and even if it was, toilets were not maintained and went into disrepair.

The government has to now look at overcoming the challenges of a) Getting people to the toilet and b) Safe disposal of the waste collected. With little or no water supply, the ODF programme is threatened at the ground level. The absence of sewerage systems particularly in the rural hinterland is only adding to the burden. Waste is dumped at pits or beside water bodies and the intended benefits have turned around.

Clearly, Sanitation in India is still a work in progress, and achieving finality is not going to be easy despite government claims.

The Way Forward

The adoption of Sanitation has to be a concerted effort by policymakers, implementing agencies, stakeholders, and partners in progress. Sanitation needs to be marketed to influence behaviour towards sanitation and cleanliness. A planned process that applies theories of attitudinal change is key to the success of the sanitation programme. Besides, the umbrella of the sanitation process needs to be completed with last-mile infrastructure like waste processing and availability of water, etc. Without these, the piecemeal efforts will all remain statistics on paper and will go waste. For this, the government agencies, private sector, AND agents of change (read NGOs and voluntary organizations) need to act in a coordinated and selfless manner. Only then will we come closer to the goal of minimising issues in rural development in India, wastewater management, and sanitation, and delivering a healthy environment to society.

Leading The Way

S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation), a rural development NGO in India, has been working selflessly since 1999 to improve the quality of life in rural communities in India. Established as a public, charitable trust, the S M Sehgal Foundation creates sustainable programs to address rural India’s most pressing needs. Sehgal Foundation has five main program areas – Water Management, Agricultural Development, Local Participation, and Sustainability, Transform Lives one school at a time, and Outreach for Development. The mission of the S M Sehgal Foundation is to strengthen community-led development initiatives to achieve positive social, economic, and environmental change across the country. The vision is to achieve sustainable rural development in India and empower the rural communities so that they could lead a more secure, prosperous, and dignified life.

S M Sehgal Foundation is working at the ground level to spread awareness about wastewater management, and sanitation and also helping to implement projects and create infrastructure.

Helping marginal families to build toilets in village Bayal & village Niajalpur, block – Nangal Choudhary, district Mahendergarh, Haryana

A rural development project implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation in the above areas has made communities aware of health and hygiene and provided financial and construction assistance for building household toilets.

The beneficiaries for assistance in household toilets are selected on the basis of their poverty and the absence of a toilet in their dwelling unit. As part of the project, financial assistance

Amounting to Rs. 20,000 was provided to the beneficiary family if they contributed Rs. 8,000. With this economic assistance, lower-income bracket families have been able to construct toilets. With this intervention, people do not have to walk far distances and women feel safe as they do not have to venture out. Villagers have become much more aware of overall cleanliness, and they participate in all activities pertaining to sanitation in their village.

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“If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the
biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.”
~ David Suzuki, environmental activist

Soil is a critical resource especially when viewed in an agricultural development context. Improper management of this resource can lead to its degradation, and this makes soil management important for the farming community. Healthy soil is the foundation for a vibrant and sound agriculture and sustainable development system. The soil ecosystem is a complex and dynamic balance of microorganisms and roots that lead to a synergy with minerals and organic matter; thus healthy soil has the innate capacity to achieve a balance of water, air, and other essential nutrients.

Achieving soil health is the ability to sustain agricultural productivity and protection of natural resources. Benefits of healthy soil translate into better plant growth, pest control, nutrient optimization, and adequate supply of essential water and air, making it critical for farmers to understand the physical, chemical, and biological components of healthy soil and their management.

The need for food security for a burgeoning Indian population led policymakers to take radical steps in the mid-1960s. The Green Revolution was conceptualized around 1965, which led to India gaining self-sufficiency in food production in the subsequent years. Focus areas were based on technological upgradation, e.g., farm mechanization through tractors, use of high-yield seeds, upgradation of irrigation facilities, pesticide use, and correct fertilizer application. Fertilizer use that was less than a million tons before the mid-1960s, registered a phenomenal growth to around 12.73 million tons by 1992.

High-yielding seeds required increased use of fertilizers and their application, which was positive in the short term but started to show disadvantages over a period of time. Soil pH started increasing due to the use of alkaline chemicals and led to an increase in heavy metals in the soil. Increased toxicity destroyed beneficial pathogens, and a decrease in the yield was due to a decline in the fertility of the soil. The golden period lasted for around thirty years before crop yields became stagnant and started dropping in the mid-1990s. The impact on environmental pollution from excessive fertilizer use also led to soil and water acidification, contamination of water, and increased greenhouse emissions. Some of the measures taken as part of the Green Revolution deviated from the natural laws of balance and functioning, and were unsustainable.

Even after all this time, farmers in agrarian states still look at fertilizers as urea and phosphates. Their knowledge of fertilizer application is limited to NPK nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Unscientific use of NPK continues to have a detrimental impact on nutrients in the soil and has led to reduced crop yields across the country. The problem is a vicious cycle, and to counter the decreasing yields, farmers continue to pump nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil, leading to further degradation. Part of the problem lay with the policy on highly subsidized urea. The almost three fourths of its price subsidized resulted in overuse and continues to alter the soil chemistry even today. Soil health remains an area of concern for the government and it is putting in efforts and investment to arrest soil degradation and decline in fertility.

RESTORING, IMPROVING, AND MAINTAINING SOIL QUALITY

As is clear, a concerted effort is needed to educate the farming community on the synergy between fertilizers, crop yields, and soil health. Some fertilizer specific methods that could be taken to restore, improve, and maintain soil health:

TAKING STEPS

S M Sehgal Foundation, established in 1999 as a public charitable trust, promotes livelihoods through capacity building of farmers through its path-breaking work in the agrarian heartlands of India. For their exemplary commitment to the cause of agriculture and sustainable development, they have won several awards including the FICCI Sustainable Agriculture Award 2021 (2nd place) in the category of Climate Resilient Agriculture Development. Their work includes promoting improved agricultural practices and new technologies to increase crop yields, water conservation and management, and improving soil fertility.

S M Sehgal Foundation teams work with smallholder farmers in rain-fed and irrigated areas to facilitate adoption of improved and advanced agriculture and sustainable development practices that include soil health management, crop production management, input-use efficiency, small farm mechanization, water-efficient irrigation techniques, horticultural development, livestock management, and the use of information and communication technology in agriculture and development.

Krishi Jyoti: Lighting Farmer Lives

A large number of farmers continue to adopt outdated farming techniques, leading to continual depletion of soil quality. This leads to a reduction in the potential and benefits that they can derive from their farmlands. To overcome the information deficit and develop requisite infrastructure, S M Sehgal Foundation has partnered with Mosaic India Private Limited to support small farmers.

Since its inception in 2008, the project has directly impacted the lives of thousands of farmers. Supported by Mosaic Fertilizers India, S M Sehgal Foundation implements the agricultural development project works to enhance soil health, providing agricultural development inputs, and giving expert advice to the farmers. Farmers are provided with good quality seeds and fertilizers, macro and micronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, etc.

The second core focus of the project is water management. Mosaic helps in promoting water conservation and management, building infrastructure and encouraging water-efficient irrigation techniques. The project supports building check-dams for farmers as well as helping them with the use of drip-irrigation facilities.

The Krishi Jyoti project supports farmers by providing micronutrients, fertilizers, and capacity building. The work done under the project has won various awards including the FICCI Water Award in 2013 and Bhamashah award of the Rajasthan government in 2016 and 2017 in different categories. This is evidence of the efforts being put by Mosaic and S M Sehgal Foundation to bring about a positive change in the lives of small-scale farmers.

GOING FORWARD

Fertilizers are key in achieving food security for the large population of India. With the projected growth of the population, the task is even more challenging. A balance must be derived between crop yields and soil health in the long run. Sharing of knowledge with the stakeholder’s is essential. The farmers are key to a successful outcome.

A lot is happening on the ground. The government has implemented several developmental schemes like Integrated Watershed Management Programme, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and more recently the National Mission on Soil Health Card. However, in a large country like India, soil health management at the national level also requires public private partnerships (PPP). Fostering partnerships and networks for successful implementation of soil health management is the way forward in this transitory process.

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