How Nari Shakti is Leading the Organic Revolution in India

India shows enormous potential to become a major organic-producing country worldwide. 

This growth is driven by the high demand for natural a lifestyle after the pandemic and the increase in consumer awareness. 

Indian organic market is worth USD 1.7 million in 2023, presenting a significant opportunity for farmers to adopt natural agricultural practices. 

India's organic revolution is witnessing a remarkable surge, fueled by the determination and innovation of its women farmers. The revolution can also be understood by the fact that India has more than 1 million organic producers, the highest in the world. 

The country has witnessed a 145.1% increase in organic agricultural land under cultivation in the last decade, with 4.43 million organic farmers, the highest globally according to the Economic Survey 2022-23.

From small-scale organic farms to leading organic enterprises, women are at the forefront of the organic movement in India. 

This blog explores the fight of small-scale women farmers against the odds and their inspiring stories for the future of organic agriculture in India. 

One-Women Farm that switched to a Profitable Organic Farming Business

Hailing from a conservative family, Rubi Pareek found a sense of empowerment in agriculture. 

Pareek was raised in a household with several siblings and economic hardships where women were not allowed to step out of their houses.

Rubi was awarded by NABARD in 2008 and the Jaivik India Awards by the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture in 2023.

In a life-turning event, the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra once organized a workshop on her farm explaining the various varieties of wheat. Out of curiosity, she asked if there was any alternative to chemicals-based farming as the cancer-related cases due to chemical fertilizers and pesticide use were increasing.

Rubi was trained at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra where her journey of converting her farm to be free from chemical pesticides and fertilizers and increasing her family income started.

Traditionally, they were cultivating wheat and mustard crops using chemical fertilizers and pesticides which decreased the porosity and aeration of the soil. Not only did the organic adaption help sustain soil health, but it also saved their input costs on chemicals.

Saving 50% on input costs, Rubi uses cow dung and vermicompost. As the organic produce is sold at twice the price, they can generate an income of ₹ 1 lakh per bigha.

At their farm, she grows vegetables and fruits like amla (gooseberry), lemon, and papaya. With her family’s help, a seed bank was set up that comprised 50 varieties of indigenous seeds of vegetables like okra, bottle gourd, chilies, cowpeas, and so on. 

Her farm also has an innovative three-layer approach to growing vegetables that take up extra space. They grow plants like Lemon and Karonda (blackcurrants) in the outermost layer and under their shade, shorter plants like aloe vera are grown. The third layer comprises tall trees like bel (stone apple), papaya, and amla. 

Rubi has trained 15,000 farmers and agriculture students from across Rajasthan. She also set up the Khatwa Kisan Jaivik Producer Company, which helps 15,000 farmers sell produce in districts like Jaipur, Madhopur, Dausa, and Gangapur.

Assam’s First Women Organic Produce Exporter

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Tasheeda Khatoon is a leading women farmer from Bihudia village of central Assam who sells organic produce across the country and in the International market. 

Her simplicity and vision for a life of sustainability are unmatched. Her organic vegetables are sold across Across, different parts of India, and in London. 

Tasheeda has seen many hardships in life when she lost her husband and had to support her family. In 2007, she started taking training from neighboring farmers and cultivated cauliflower on 2 bighas of land and earned ₹ 70,000 in one crop. 

Her cultivation now spans 10 bighas of land, mainly comprising of vegetables like onion, snake gourd, cabbage, rice, capsicum, flats beans, carrot, maize, pepper, and fruits like apricot strawberry. 

Tasheeda’s firm gradually became a leading exporter of high-quality organic flat beans (Seam Phali). She experimented with organic flat beans in 2020 on just one bigha of land and has been fetching good prices as people have become health-conscious. 

This woman farmer is the first generation farmer who champions the export of organic farm produce in Assam. Tashida has received several awards for her work as a farmer during the last 16 years. She was nominated for the ASPEE LM Patel Award by the Government of Assam. 

Tashida plans to expand her area of cultivation and inspire more women to take up agriculture as a career. She wishes Assam to be self-sufficient in organic vegetable products.    

Lalita Mukti, a leader in Organic Agriculture 

Lalita Mukti is a household name in the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh.

Upon realizing that her 105-acre farm was not giving enough returns despite expensive inputs, Lalita decided to switch to Organic farming encountering the harmful effects of chemical farming. An economics graduate, she took agriculture training at her local Krishi Vigyan Kendra. 

Lalita has received various awards for her organic farming initiative including the Haldhar awards in 2019 and the IARI ‘Innovative Farmer Award” in 2018.

In 2014, Lalita was a part of a group of farmers who were selected to visit Germany and Italy under the Mukhya Mantri Kisan Videsh Adhyayan Yojana to learn about new and higher-yielding farming techniques. 

For her, Organic farming was a win-win situation as the use of DAP, urea, pesticides, vitamins, and weedicides were deteriorating the soil. The natural farming techniques also increases the nutritional value of the food.

Read more about : Eating for a Healthier Tomorrow

She decided to plant orchards where were easy to maintain at first. The farm sections were slowly converted organic and continued to grow grains and pulses such as wheat, groundnut, maize, cotton, maize, and grains.

In addition, she planted custard apple, lemons, gooseberry, chiku, guava and sugar cane. The fruit orchards were spread over 70 acres of land, she grows custard apple in 40 acres, lemon in 10 acres, chiku in five acres, and sugar cane in 10 acres. 

The women farmer packs their produce and sells them in the Indore Agricultural market. 

She has also set-up a processing unit on her farm where the custard apples are de-seeded and the pulp if removed for the wholesalers. 

Her farm includes urtilizing Jeevamrit by fermenting cow dung, jaggery, cow urine, and organic soil with water. For biopesticides, she uses leaves of plants such as neem, dhatura, and custard apple, which are not eaten by animals. The leaves are ground and left to ferment for 7-8 days. Then the mixture is sifted through a sieve and the liquid obtained is mixed with water for spraying on plants.

To become energy efficient and cut electricity costs, Lalita’s farm uses solar power and also installed a biogas plant. 

Lalita has also inspired her co-farmers to adopt farming and has formed the Maa Durga Krishi Mahila Sangathan, an organization that is creating awareness about the benefits of organic farming.

The inspiring stories of Nari Shakti leading the organic revolution in India demonstrate the immense potential and impact of women in agriculture. As India continues to embrace sustainable and eco-friendly practices, the role of women in organic agriculture will only become more prominent.

The future of organic farming in India looks bright, driven by the passion and determination of women entrepreneurs. Let us celebrate the achievements of these remarkable women and continue to support their journey towards a greener and healthier future.