Between 2004 and 2006, there used to be a relating to build up in farmer suicides, specifically in Maharashtra. Consistent with NCRB knowledge, in 2006, 17,060 farmers died by way of suicide within the nation, of which 1,427 have been from Maharashtra. And 1,065 of those deaths befell in Vidarbha, the state’s cotton belt.
This deeply disturbed Sharmila Jain Oswal, who used to be in Canada at the moment.
“Whilst I used to be incomes just right cash, I used to be now not alone soil. I yearned to go back and fortify the farmers, contributing to my country’s dietary safety. Rising up in a village, I had observed the plight of farmers and knew their issues firsthand. Unfortunately, many executive tasks failed to achieve them, resulting in mounting money owed and deficient vegetation,” the 52-year-old tells The Higher India.
So, Sharmila made up our minds to surrender her task and returned to Pune in 2008. She then launched into a two-year survey throughout Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to know the issues confronted by way of farmers at the flooring.
Quickly after, she established an NGO named the Inexperienced Power Basis to offer answers to farmers. The basis specializes in the revival of water assets and imposing sensible farming tactics, whilst empowering girls in agriculture.
A early life that sowed the seeds of exchange
Within the overdue 70s, Sharmila’s father ran a flour mill in Poynad, a small agrarian village close to Alibaug, Maharashtra, the place millets have been the key grains used. Rising up there, the younger lady won perception into the difficult lives of farmers and their households.
She says she realized two vital courses from her father. One — the significance of millets; two — the concept that of ‘company social duty’ even earlier than she had heard the time period CSR.
“I studied in a Marathi medium faculty the place lots of the youngsters confronted a number of hardships. Their fathers have been farmers and didn’t have a gentle source of revenue as a rule. The ladies have been married early and weren’t given get right of entry to to better schooling. Most ladies in my orthodox Rajasthani circle of relatives additionally confronted an identical issues — together with being compelled to put on ghungats (a fabric to hide the top),” she provides.
After listening to tales of harassment and home violence from schoolmates and family, she made up our minds to turn into a attorney to assist girls dealing with such demanding situations. “I sought after a special lifestyles than my mom, sisters, or sisters-in-law. I had witnessed my close to and expensive ones fall sufferer to home violence. Women in my faculty have been denied schooling and married early. So, I fought for my schooling,” she recollects.
Sharmila now considers herself fortunate as a result of each her father and later her husband prioritised her schooling. Alternatively, the difficulties confronted by way of the farming group that she witnessed rising up, similar to failing vegetation and lengthening money owed, deeply affected her.
“I noticed thru shut quarters what a farmer and his circle of relatives undergo when their crop fails, or when it doesn’t rain. I sought after to paintings against discovering answers for those issues, because the water disaster used to be most effective expanding,” she provides.
Those demanding situations impressed her to get a grasp’s stage in environmental and agricultural legislation in England after you have married. She labored in the United Kingdom from 1997 to 1999 and later moved to Canada, the place she practised till 2007. Afterwards, she returned to her place of birth based on the difficulties confronted by way of Indian farmers.
Serving to farmers transfer to sustainable strategies
After returning to Pune and founding the NGO in 2008, Sharmila — armed with a Rs 10 lakh grant from NABARD — started her first sustainable water control program in Buchkewadi, Maharashtra in 2010.
The village used to be dealing with a water disaster because of which farming used to be turning into increasingly more tricky.
“All the village, which has round 40 farmers, used to be getting water from one small dam. We labored on a programme that will optimise water utilization and build up water availability within the village. We did an in depth soil and water overview, and labored on an equitable water distribution type. We additionally helped villagers keep an eye on water utilization in order that they obtain water even all over summer time months,” explains the attorney.
Sharmila persevered her paintings throughout Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. In Dungarpur, Rajasthan, she helped farmers transfer from farming only one crop — corn — to a couple of vegetation.
“Plants like maize want numerous water. So we helped the tribal farmers in Dungarpurby appearing them how one can domesticate vegetation like moong (inexperienced gram) the usage of much less water on their farms — thru a partnership with ITC’s e-Choupal. This manner, the farmers all the time have a backup crop in case one fails. Within the procedure, additionally they won get right of entry to to ITC’s market. We additionally assisted farmers in rising millets, which require much less water,” she provides.
Dipti, a farmer from Dungarpur, says they’ve benefited from this programme, and that lately, additionally they develop greens. “Previous, my husband must pass to different towns looking for paintings if our crop failed. Now, as we’re rising lentils and greens, we’re ready to maintain ourselves smartly. We’re ready to control even with much less water, as we have now a large number of vegetation,” she stocks.
Unleashing the magic of millet
During the last 20 years, Sharmila says they’ve helped over 1.5 lakh farmers in 5 states thru water control programmes, millet and vegetable cultivation, and capacity-building programmes, which has yielded a gentle source of revenue for them.
Even earlier than millet was the buzzword, this social activist suggested farmers to develop this superfood in arid areas. “Millets are climate-resilient, carbon-neutral and eco-friendly. They require naked minimal water, making them sustainable,” she says.
She has helped farmers diversify their vegetation and preserve water by way of instructing them how one can domesticate millets, similar to ragi, jowar, proso millet, and pearl millet, in addition to greens, together with unique ones like zucchini.
When the pandemic hit the rustic, Sharmila’s son Shubham used to be at house after finishing his bachelor’s stage in political science at Ashoka College. A dialog about millets and the absence of wholesome meals alternatives sparked the theory for his or her startup, ‘Gud Mother’.
“All through my time on the college, I noticed maximum of my buddies eating junk meals. We additionally noticed many children suffering from way of life sicknesses. To assist battle this and in addition supply a just right marketplace for farmers, we introduced a startup in accordance with a farm-to-fork type to promote millet grains and wholesome millet-based snacks,” says Shubham Oswal.
‘Gud Mother’ sells millet noodles, pasta, cookies, crackers, herb sticks and extra thru their site, on Amazon, and by the use of different shops. Lots of the grains and ready-to-eat pieces are priced between Rs 48 and Rs 150.
“Our purpose is to construct a wholesome ecosystem. In this day and age, youngsters eat an excessive amount of junk meals, which isn’t just right for them. Now we have reworked millets into a number of interesting merchandise with world flavours and seasonings that the present technology enjoys. We wish to construct the immunity of the country,” he provides.
The startup lately has an annual income of over Rs 16 crore and works with greater than 5,000 millet farmers around the nation.
‘Gud Mother’ won the Highest Startup in Natural Farming 2021 and the ‘Poshak Anaj Award 2022’ from the Indian Institute of Millet Analysis. Sharmila used to be recognised and lauded by way of Top Minister Narendra Modi for her paintings in expanding millet cultivation in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme.
She says she now hopes for an afternoon when millets shall be dispensed underneath the general public distribution gadget (PDS). “If we would like farmers to develop extra millets, they must be dispensed in ration retail outlets. They’re more fit than wheat and rice. They must even be incorporated within the mid-day meal scheme to inspire in style intake,” opines Sharmila.
You’ll purchase their millet-based merchandise right here.
Edited by way of Pranita Bhat
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