India is the largest cotton producer in the world, with 5. 8 million farmers making a living from the crop, along with millions of people who work in the sector. But in the past the industry has had a bad name, labelled as one that ‘consumes too much and produces too little’ – too much water, too much pesticide, and low productivity per hectare.

On the occasion of Rajasthan Diwas, Ambuja Foundation promoted Farmer Producer Organization in Marwar Mundwa, Green Desert Farmer Producer Company, launched their own brand of spices called ‘Marwari Hatadi’.

Prahlad Ram and his wife, Parma Devi, have built a reputation for themselves across Rajasthan. It seems their jeera, which is being exported to the US, is being purchased in bulk by the Indian diaspora and rumor has it, even Vice-President Kamla Harris has tried it!

In the early 2000’s, farmers in the tribal belt on the border of Telengana - Chandrapur were at the mercy of local money lenders, who monopolised the cotton market – often refusing to pay market rates for crops and pushing the already marginal farmers further into poverty.

58% of India’s population depends on Agriculture as the primary source of livelihood. However, it contributes to only about 18% of the country’s GDP.

The future of farming hangs in the balance, where the average age of an Indian farmer was 50.1years, and only 1.2% of rural youth aspire to be farmers, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (2017) which surveyed 30,000 youth across the country.

In a stimulating conversation with Thrive, J.P. Tripathi – DGM and vertical head for Agriculture at Ambuja Foundation reveals the most significant risks to agricultural livelihoods in India and how Ambuja Foundation has been addressing these risks.

The Ambuja Foundation supported Shivam Milk Producers Co-operative Society in Nalagarh was felicitated by the Honourable Chief Minister Ram Thakur for the best work done by a Farmer Producer Organization in the areas of aggregation and marketing during the Himachal Pradesh State Credit Seminar organized by NABARD.

Livestock rearing plays a major role in the rural economy, with goats providing a valuable source of livelihood and pathway out of poverty - particularly for women. But many goat keepers experience high herd mortality and poor returns - due to traditional practices, lack of veterinary services, and poor feeding/sanitation practices.

"In my village, cotton farming is hard work and families often struggle to make a living, particularly now that the rains are increasingly unpredictable," says Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) farmer Balubhai Parmar.

Farmers remain a vulnerable section of the community and with the nation-wide Corona Virus lockdown taking place during the peak of rabi season in India, when crops like paddy, wheat, gram, lentil, and mustard are at harvestable stage or almost reaching maturity, farmers have had to face increased vulnerability.

Ambuja Foundation has been working in the hills of Himachal Pradesh for the last 2 decades, tackling social issues and community needs one by one.