Teaching farming to over 1,000 families in India

We are pleased to report that the demand from farmers to be part of our Agri-management Services (AMS) programme keeps increasing. We are now operating AMS in four of our five locations (Familia, Sundia, Kolaghat and Babnan) and have worked with 2,976 farmers. We have achieved this through our field team of 11 Livelihood Service Providers and four Field Supervisors who work tirelessly to bring our programme to as many small holder farmers as possible.  All our staff are recruited from the villages where we are working which really adds to the success of the programme, because they know the problems facing individual farmers in these communities and are trusted and respected by them. We are proud to have such a dedicated team of individuals who greatly value their position and really care about helping others in their community.

One of our Field Supervisors recently said this about his job:

“Before I heard about the job at Shivia I was working for myself with a tailoring business, but it was not very successful.  I was not making much money.  Things are very different now.  I have been able to pay off the moneylenders I went to when I started my business. I have also made many repairs to our house, including adding two new rooms. My father passed away in 2016 and I am single-handedly supporting the whole household.  I enjoy being part of the Shivia team - it is well structured and organised.  It’s a pleasure to be part of such a professional and transparent organisation.  Thank you all!”.

The AMS programme is focused on training, demonstrating new techniques for sowing and planting based on crop type and ensuring farmers source and use bio-products as fertilisers and pesticides rather than chemical inputs. The demand for the programme has been such that we have now recruited an important new member of the team, an agricultural consultant who specialises in scientific approaches to farming and offers bio-solutions that are both affordable and effective. His expertise is making a significant impact and farmers are gaining more confidence with the knowledge that a sustainable income can be made from farming.  The knock-on effect is that more and more people are going back to farming as a livelihood rather than migrating to the cities in search of casual labouring jobs and this can only be good news for people in the rural communities we are seeking to serve.

The impact AMS is making is wholly aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 2: NO HUNGER (see extract below) and this make us very proud.

Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to make this goal a reality.

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

GOAL 2: NO HUNGER

"It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food. If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-centered rural development and protecting the environment.

Right now, our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on, increasing risks associated with disasters, such as droughts and floods. Many rural women and men can no longer make ends meet on their land, forcing them to migrate to cities in search of opportunities. Poor food security is also causing millions of children to be stunted, or too short for the ages, due to severe malnutrition.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish the 815 million people who are hungry today and the additional 2 billion people expected to be undernourished by 2050. Investments in agriculture are crucial to increasing the capacity for agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems are necessary to help alleviate the perils of hunger."

Source: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/