case studies undp: aharam traditional crops producers' company, india
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7/27/2019 Case studies UNDP: AHARAM TRADITIONAL CROPS PRODUCERS' COMPANY, India
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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities
India
AHARAM TRADITIONALCROP PRODUCERSCOMPANY
Empowered live
Resilient nation
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UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES
Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo
or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth
their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition
themselves guiding the narrative.
To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser
that details the work o Equator Prize winners vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ
to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models
replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence toThe Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years
the Equator Prize, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.
Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiatives searchable case study database.
EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran
Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding
Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe
Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,
Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu
DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Pa
Brandon Payne, Mariajos Satizbal G.
AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the Aharam Traditional Crop Producers Company, and in particular the guidance a
inputs o Utkarsh Ghate. All photo credits courtesy o Aharam Traditional Crop Producers Company. Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbo
and Wikipedia.
Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2012. Aharam Traditional Crop Producers Company, India. Equator Initiative Case Study Ser
New York, NY.
http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdf -
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PROJECT SUMMARYAharam Traditional Crops Producers Company workswith socially marginalized rural producers to conservebiodiversity in the semi-arid Ramnad Plains o Tamil Nadustate. The initiative uses a producer group model ocused onwomen and landless labourers to promote organic armingpractices that improve crop diversity and agro-biodiversity.The groups work has aimed at reducing dependence oncotton cultivation by increasing the commercial viability oarming small-scale crops and harvesting medicinal plants.The company is able to add value to these processes through
supply chain management and secondary processing,thereby guaranteeing a air price or organically-certiedcommodities bought in bulk directly rom producer groups.
As well as supplying training in organic arming practices,the initiative has encouraged the ormation o savingsand micro-credit sel-help groups, as well as supportingedgling micro-enterprises.
KEY FACTS
EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2006
FOUNDED: 2003
LOCATION: Tamil Nadu state, southern India
BENEFICIARIES: 15,000 rural small-scale producers
BIODIVERSITY: drylands and agrobiodiversity
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background and Context 4
Key Activities and Innovations 6
Biodiversity Impacts 8
Socioeconomic Impacts 9
Policy Impacts 9
Sustainability 10
Replication 11
Partners 11
AHARAM TRADITIONAL CROPPRODUCERS COMPANYIndia
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Aharam Traditional Crops Producers Company was ounded in 2003y the Covenant Centre or Development (CCD), an NGO working
n Kariapatti, Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The area lies within
he semi-arid tract known as the Ramnad Plains, and is characterized
y severe droughts and rural-urban migration. CCD was ounded in
993 to promote rural community-based enterprise development,
with the majority o its work ocused on women. Aharam is one o
hree community-managed enterprises ounded by CCD to conront
he challenges o providing healthcare, sustainable energy, rural
velihoods, and ood security or the Ramnad Plains marginalized
nd landless poor. The aim o the Traditional Crops Producers
Company is to promote the marketing o small-scale arm produce
t a air price. To date, their work has benetted an estimated 15,000
ural producers. Enhanced incomes have motivated amilies to
onserve their agro-biodiversity, while the crops produced have
mproved the nutrition and health o urban consumers.
A marginalized and impoverished region
he Ramnad Plains, situated close to the city o Madurai, receive
nly 600 mm o rainall during the monsoon period (August-
November), while the rest o the year is hot and dry. The ecosystem
ype is characterized by sparse grassland and orest. Palmyra palm
rees (Borassus fabellier) and thorny Acacia bushes are common.
Mesquite (Prosopis julifora), grows wild as an invasive species. Its
igh water consumption and shade make it dicult or grasses to
row. In turn, this has reduced odder or livestock; its leaves are
lso unpalatable to cattle. The plains are home to a select variety o
wildlie species. Peacocks and crows are common, as are Common
Mynas, Little Green Bee-eaters, and sparrows, especially near human
abitations. Other bird species include vultures, Blue Jays, owls,
oves, warblers, and babblers. Mammals include mongooses, Asian
alm Civets, Black Nape Hares, jackals, and mouse deer, while reptiles
uch as Monitor Lizards, Rat snakes, Russells Pit Viper, and Checkered
nd Olive Keelback snakes are also ound.
While cotton is grown as a cash crop in the rain-ed resubsistence arming aces the challenges o low rainall and
irrigation in the dryland areas. An additional source o inc
during the summer months is derived rom livestock products: c
and goats are herded in the areas with sucient grassland. O
sources o income include medicinal plants and charcoal made
Mesquite trees. Approximately 80% o amilies own landholdin
two hectares or less, while 40% o amilies live below the nat
poverty line, earning less than USD 1/day. Many o these am
are socially as well as economically marginalized, while there
also high numbers o landless labourers. The plains are home to
nomadic Valayar people, who have traditionally been o low s
caste, extremely poor, and have lacked a political voice in I
Some o these communities have been displaced rom lan
development projects such as dams or power plants. Recent po
have aimed at helping the Valayar, however, providing them
subsidies or education and ood. Welare schemes or impro
access to water, sanitation, and electricity have also begun to r
them.
Tackling ood security and agricultural productivity
CCD identied various catalysts or their interventions in the re
Traditionally, diets had been well-balanced, with a diversied
o grains, pulses, beans, vegetables, oil, milk, poultry and mea
produced locally through organic arming methods. As arm p
have allen, however, 30% o armers have replaced nutritious
low-income subsistence crops such as millets sorghum,
millet, nger millet and greens with less nutritious, higher v
crops, such as sugarcane. Meanwhile, productivity has dec
by approximately 10-15% due to a reduction in organic input
armers depend more heavily on chemical inputs. The combina
o these cash crops and chemical ertilizer and pesticide use
impacted soil health, while micronutrient deciency and
scarcity have caused multiple health problems or the popula
Market ailures in cotton and other cash crops have urther har
local livelihoods.
Background and Context
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A ocus on empowering women producers
he Covenant Centre or Development was initially successul in
rganizing rural women into savings and micro-credit sel-help
roups. In total, 640 groups have been ormed, with 10,000 members
ltogether, rom 242 villages in the region. CCD provided loans at
nterest rates o 2% per month. Collective savings totaled around
s. 24 million (USD 535,000 at 2011 prices). Access to credit allowed
hese women to start micro-enterprises, with CCD also supplyingraining and support to these groups.
he micro-enterprise model was then used to encourage
ggregation o subsistence armers into producer groups, using
sustainable methods and organic arm inputs that conserve a
biodiversity, with Aharam Traditional Crops Producers Com
working in supply chain management and marketing. One o
early challenges Aharam conronted was breaking existing tra
monopolies and eliminating corruption in weighting and pri
which were barriers to small-scale armers entering these mar
Aharam also acilitates value addition and access to urban mar
Demand or welare measures such as savings, afordable credit
insurance has broadened Aharams scope o work, incorporadisaster resilience into their socio-economic goals. Finally, lin
producers to government credit schemes allows them to purc
high quality agricultural inputs, which increases producers y
and incomes.
Climate change has occurred faster and has been more damaging than expected. Tradition
crops and natural resource management techniques, coupled with appropriate modern tools, ar
sustainable means of combating these changes.
Utkarsh Ghate, Covenant Centre for Development
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Key Activities and Innovations
Aharams work ocuses on three key areas: aggregation o producer
roups and quality management; value addition; and providing
wholesale and retail market access. The two main sectors they have
worked in are agriculture (including mangoes, coconuts, and arm
rains) and healthcare (herbal medicines), although their work
with Tamil Nadu coastal communities has also involved producing
rtisanal goods or the tourist market.
The producer group model
roducer groups usually consist o 15-20 individual producers. These
producer groups are organized into clusters o ve or six, with 10-15
lusters making up a ederation. This aggregation allows or the bulkbuying o produce. Producer groups serve to regulate the quality
o their produce, as well as acting as collective credit, savings, and
nsurance groups. Using producer peer groups to ensure quality
management and organic quality certication has been an important
nnovation or Aharam. Producer group members check each others
gricultural inputs and methods o storage and transportation, to
ontrol or chemical use or contamination. The producer groups
hemselves also undertake peer reviews o neighbouring groups
operations. A local or regional committee keeps records o these
esults and issues certicates annually. This process, known as the
articipatory Guarantee System (PGS), is not unique, but has been
pioneered in India through Aharam. CCD was a ounder member
o the national body, PGS India, and has helped to promote thisechnique or ensuring organic quality standards through collective
uarantee. As it is also voluntary and low-cost, PGS is preerred
o third-party certication, which typically involves urban-based
ccredited inspection agencies that charge heavy ees.
Diversiying and improving crop yields
everal activities have ocused on increasing producer yields.
Aharam has encouraged collecting and cultivating a broad range
o seeds through community seed nurseries. Around 50 varieties o
teen crop species have been grown to date, encouraging ar
to diversiy their agricultural output. Women landless labo
have been given training in collecting up to 45 species o wild h
rom wastelands or allow arms during the dry season. Thes
processed into eight primary healthcare medicinal products or
Some common medicinal herbs that are collected include:
Alternatively, these herbs are bought in bulk rom the collectors
sold to prominent Indian pharmaceutical companies or sale in
or export overseas. These companies include Himalaya Drug
Ltd (Bangalore), Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd (Bangalore), Cavin
(Chennai), and Sami Labs (Bangalore).
Organic arming methods have been promoted through tra
sessions: specic methods have included multi-cropping, and
on-arm generation o odder, manure, and crop protection into reduce the costs o cultivation and generate higher armer pr
Seed multiplication
The Covenant Centre or Developments partnership with
International Crops Research Institute or the Semi-Arid-Tro
(ICRISAT) has enabled some armer groups to become seed produ
ICRISAT provided CCD with high-quality paddy and groundnut s
with a guarantee to buy back a portion o the seeds produce
turn, CCD gave trainings to Aharam armer groups in technique
Table 1: Medicinal plants and their common uses
Medicinal herbs Used for Eclipta alba Skin careOccimum sanctum Fever, coughs
Tribulus terestris Kidney stonesBoerhavia difusa Liver tonicEvolvulus alsinoides Immune system
Source: Covenant Centre or Development, 2011
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roducing high-quality seeds. These techniques include selecting
igger grains to replant, trimming branches to retain ewer seeds that
eceive more nutrition, and cutting of diseased seeds and branches.
A portion o the seeds produced are then sold back to ICRISAT, with
he balance being sold to local armers. These high-quality seeds
re highly protable, costing 30-50% more than the grains sold or
onsumption. The producer groups taking part in this scheme have
ow been certied as seed producers by the government, and are
lso able to purchase seeds rom local departments o agriculture,elling them back at a prot. This venture was reviewed by Access
ivelihoods Consulting (ALC) India in 2011, on behal o the Ford
oundation, and was recommended as viable or investment or
caling up.
Diversiying livelihoods; value-added processing
Coastal communities have been helped to develop artisanal
oods rom local resources, including coir, seashells, seaweed and
alm and banana bers. The Bhagawati coir trust ensures secured
velihoods or over 500 coir workers and 250 shell crat artisans in
Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts on the Tamil Nadu coast,
where communities were severely afected by the Indian Ocean
sunami in 2004. Coir yarn is developed using a traditional method,
n which green bers are soaked in salt water over time, and sold to
armers or tying tea plants in plantations, or used in making goods
or tourist markets.
Value addition has been enabled through Aharams mango
ulp actory. This initiative collectively purchases quality mango
ruits rom dryland orchards and extracts their pulp, which is
hen packaged and sold to urban companies at a higher price or
rocessing into juices. This allows the ruit to be stored or a longer
eriod o time as opposed to in its natural state, while guaranteeing
income or the producers during the lean season. It also remove
advantage o oreign commercial imported ruit, which is o hi
quality in terms o colour and size. Buyers pay in advance or
pulp, ensuring it can be supplied in time and in sucient qua
and quality.
Connecting rural producers and urban markets
Supply chain management has allowed producers to reach 2rural and urban consumers. Aharams grocery retail program
involves bulk purchasing o crop produce rom armers, ollowe
value addition by womens groups at Common Processing Cen
These nished products, including traditional varieties o m
spices, and pulses are then sold on to rural consumers at a air p
improving nutritional health.
The target population or Aharams work is approximately 10
small armers and landless labourers in the central drylands,
5,000 coastal amilies. The total population being helped by Ahar
work is thereore estimated at 75,000 (at an average amily siz
ve), o which around 35,000 are active producers. One qu
o these producers benet rom better market access, whileremainder benet indirectly rom higher prices or welare opt
Aharam also directly employs twenty-ve staf.
To date, seven ederations o producer groups have been cre
There are two mango and cotton armer ederations in Ramnad
coastal armers ederations in Nagapattinam district, and ederat
o artisans and coir workers rom Kanyakumari. The nal edera
is made up o womens medicinal plants gathering groups, a
represented on the Aharam governing board. Between them, t
ederations have taken on much o the administration o Ahara
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Impacts
BIODIVERSITY IMPACTSThe biological diversity and ecological integrity o the drylands
have benetted primarily through the promotion o traditional
gricultural practices. Increased use o organic ertilizers and natural
pest control measures has limited the harmul efects o chemicals
on soil quality.
By adding value to traditional, nutritious crops, Aharam has been able
o increase their production compared to higher-value commercial
ash crops such as sugar cane. Millets, or instance, have been
processed into our, while womens groups and school children have
been encouraged to purchase this crop or its nutritional benets.
ears over diabetes in urban centres in particular have helped to
ncrease the demand and the price o millet. Other traditional crop
varieties have been promoted though seed nurseries, and have
ncreased the agricultural biodiversity within the region.
Organic arming: enhancing agrobiodiversity
Producer groups regulate the use o organic practices by small-
armers, who must meet quality standards to market their pro
at higher prices. Organic arming techniques include inter-crop
pest trap crops, and natural ertilizer use. Instead o using expe
inorganic ertilizers, armers have been educated on how to m
and use organic ertilizers rom the bird droppings and m
In addition, armers have been advised to use guinea bird
controlling pests in mango orchards, rather than armers spra
insecticides on the plants. Reduction in chemical inputs has allo
or more insect species and more birds to requent armed a
The lack o pesticide residue allows birds such as doves, pigeparakeets, warblers and babblers to eat grains, and bee-ea
drongos, mynas, and bluejays to eat insects and worms. Bee
are common in organic arming areas, as bees can pollinate an
honey rom crops such as pulses and oilseeds in the winter mo
i grown organically.
Medicinal plant gatherer groups have been given trainin
sustainable harvesting, ensuring that only mature medicinal p
are cut. This is a requirement to meet the good collection prac
certication or selling plants through the Gram Moolige Com
Ltd, CCDs medicinal plants community-based enterprise.
Marine and coastal conservation through CCDThe Covenant Centre or Development has also worked with
communities in areas o the coastal tract afected by the In
Ocean tsunami. Sand dune conservation and mangrove restor
work has been undertaken with coastal communities by Aran
partner NGO o CCD, in the area o Puducherry. Parts o sand d
have been planted with mangroves and other trees to pr
them rom erosion by the sea. Responsible shing codes have
introduced or Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari sher commun
Seasonal and site-specic shing restraints have allowed s
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tocks to regenerate. These stocks were impacted heavily in the
atermath o the tsunami, when charities donated large numbers o
shing boats to afected communities, leading to over-shing along
he coast.
SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS
The social and economic benets rom Aharams work have been
extensive, varied, and sustained. They include greater ood securityand better nutrition, higher incomes, empowerment o women, and
ncreased resilience to disasters.
Aharams outreach has grown rapidly since its ormation. From
an initial 500 producers, the organization now has 15,000, with a
otal o 75,000 estimated beneciaries. These amilies live within
hree regions: Madurai, Kanyakumari, and Poompha. O these, an
estimated 70% are women, specically targeted through Aharams
work with womens sel-help groups and landless emale labourers.
This has signicantly empowered women within households, and
has improved their decision-making powers and social standing.
Approximately 30% o the beneciaries are considered indigenous,
ocated around Madurai; 90% o the target population lives in ruralareas.
ncreased household incomes; improved rural resilience
Livelihood security resulting rom advance payments or bulk
purchases, allied to constant demand, has guaranteed predictable
and consistent incomes or rural producers, reducing anxiety and
worry or beneciaries. Between 2003 and 2008, studies showed
hat daily incomes o Aharam producer groups members had
ncreased rom around Rs. 20 to over Rs. 50 (USD 0.44 to USD 1.12),
epresenting an increase o 150%. While up to hal o this increase
could be due to ination or the introduction o other income-
generating activities, Aharams interventions account or at least50% o this efect, through higher prices or processed agricultural
goods, representing a substantial increase in earning capacities
or producer households. Coastal artisans, meanwhile, now receive
approximately Rs. 50-70 (USD 1.12/1.56) in daily income or coir yarn
or shell crats they produce.
Disaster resilience has been increased through the provision o
welare tools such as savings, credit, and insurance mechanisms via
he Covenant Centre or Development. Prior to Aharams ounding,
nearly 45% o the armers in the plains owed debts in the range o
Rs. 10,000 to 25,000 (USD 220-USD 555) or up to two years o their
annual income. Private moneylenders trapped armers by charging
heavy interest rates o up to 8% per month, while ormal creditnstitutions such as banks are scarce (approximately one-quarter
o amilies have access to a ormal bank.) This indebtedness and
poverty multiplied the efects o requent droughts, pest attacks
and crop ailures. CCD provides low-interest loans through sel-help
groups at 25% o the market rate, or 2% monthly, thereby reducing
producers indebtedness, enhancing their savings capacity, and
educing vulnerability to risks such as poor harvests or droughts.
Finally, Aharams work has also reduced rural-urban migration, which
mposed signicant emotional burdens on amilies. High numbers o
men were previously orced to migrate to cities daily or seasona
nd work; higher rural incomes and entrepreneurial opportunit
the plains now allow more men to remain with their amilies.
POLICY IMPACTS
Aharams work has had little direct impact on policy at eithe
local or national level, although it has served as a successul exa
o a rural producers enterprise. This model is now recognizedvital rural development tool, on a par with cooperatives, whe
previously producer companies were seen as highly politicized
unpopular.
A key innovation o Aharams work has been its use o a Participa
Guarantee System through its producer groups to ensure
agricultural produce meets organic and quality standards. While
has not been reected in government policies, the organizatio
pioneered this concept as a orm o quality management or sm
scale rural processing. Being recognized by the International C
Research Institute or the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT) has also ra
Aharams prole within India.
Aharam contributed to Indias National Biodiversity Strate
and Action Plan (NBSAP) planning process through sharin
experiences with biodiversity-riendly business development
strategy or conservation. They suggested organic arming, h
medicine, and community enterprises as strategies or developm
While these recommendations were not taken on board, the
o the Gram Moolige Company Ltd. has been recognized by In
National Biodiversity Authority.
Other national policies have acted as barriers to Aharams suc
however. Indias National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NRE
along with cheap ood ration programs, are believed to dam
rural entrepreneurship, by ensuring employment opportunitithe non-arm sector and leading to labour shortages or small-
arms. For instance, under NREGA, amilies in rural districts
been provided with employment in development projects suc
digging ponds and laying roads. Daily wages or these activitie
around Rs. 150 or men and Rs. 120 or women. This is two to t
times the increase in wages or Aharams producers noted in 20
Aharam TCPC has achieved a high degree o recognition ou
India, and has contributed to numerous knowledge-sha
processes on biodiversity conservation, medicinal herbs,
community-based enterprises. Aharam representatives
been included in regional consultations involving other In
voluntary organizations on the subject o empowering sproducer agencies. These discussions have been organized by
International Institute o Environment and Development (IIED)
the Dutch NGO Hivos, and have ocused on health and equity is
or small-scale producers. Aharam representatives also contrib
to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and were cited in
Indian Urban Resource Millennium Assessment by Naturalists s
initiated by the World Resources Institute. Finally, in 2006, Aha
TCPC was a winner o the UNDP Equator Prize, recognizing its ef
to reduce poverty and conserve biodiversity.
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Sustainability and Replication
SUSTAINABILITYAharam Traditional Crop Producers Company is a revenue-
enerating enterprise. In ve years, its annual turnover increased
rom Rs. 1.3 million in 2004 to Rs. 12.5 million in 2008 (almost
USD 280,000 at 2011 prices.) Mango ruit and pulp is estimated to
ccount or around 60% o its annual sales, with other grocery retail
ccounting or 15%, cotton or 10%, seeds or 5%, and coir yarn 5%.
imultaneously, its beneciaries have been growing in number, and
t has accessed a growing number o markets. It has estimated that
ts local growth potential is still two to three times its present reach
n villages neighbouring its current producer groups.
he two main drivers or Aharams continued success are ensuringccess to urban markets, and tapping local markets or raw produce.
he value-addition stage is vital or increasing the viability o the
mall-scale producers: simply aggregating raw produce has not
een ound to be suciently protable.
Strategic interventions or sustained impact
artners support is vital or Aharams continued growth. The various
uyers o Aharams produce contribute around 30% o the companys
udget through advances or processed ruits, concessions or bulk
urchases, and investments in inrastructure, such as a actory
onstructed to process cotton. Buyback assurances also make
p a signicant in-kind contribution that motivates armers to
roduce high-quality goods. International donor agencies such as
Oxam, Ford Foundation, Tata Trust, and Christian Aid contribute
nother 30% in the orm o trainings and marketing expenses. The
armers themselves also contribute an estimated 30% in the orm
production, while CCDs support accounts or 10% o Aharams
udget.
Diversication is another key to sustainability, as it permits the
otation o limited working capital in community enterprises at
iferent times o the year. For instance, millet is grown during the
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1111
monsoon season, coir is harvested during the winter, as it absorbs
moisture and is thereore unworkable during the monsoon, and
mangoes are picked in the summer.
REPLICATION
he success o Aharams eco-enterprise model has motivated many
ural development donors to und its replication in other biodiversity
ch and poverty-stricken regions o India. CCD has been asked to
evelop the capacity o local community groups to implementmall-scale sustainable businesses along the lines o Aharams
roducer groups. These replication eforts have involved training
n community organization, technical skills, nancial linkages, and
market access, and have also consisted o visits to Aharams organic
roducer sites. One o these Ford Foundation-unded projects,
amudram Womens Federation o Orissa, was a UNDP Equator Prize
010 awardee.
PARTNERS
Donors such as the Ford Foundation, Miserere, Christian Aid, Ox
and Tata Trust have played a role in Aharams growth in Tamil N
Progressive industry buyers such as Nadukkara Agro Proces
Company, set up by the Kerala state government, have also b
undamental to growth in urban consumer markets. Nadukkara
Parle Agro have been the main buyers o mango pulp. Coir yarn
been sold to tea planter associations and traders.
Various service providers have helped Aharams work thro
the timely delivery o services such as transport and packag
Media outlets have promoted the organizations work at dife
times, while training agencies have helped to develop the ski
producers. Local traders have assisted through purchasing Aha
excess stock, or supplying raw materials when Aharam arm
produce was in shortage.
Table 1: Funding and replication sites
Funding organizaton States and Union Territories
Food and Agriculture Organizaon (FAO) Orissa
Ford Foundaon Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Na
Tata Trust Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu
UNDP-implemented Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small
Grants Programme (SGP)Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uarakh
Leadership for Environment and Development India (LEAD) Nicobar IslandsOxfam All of the above locaons
ource: Covenant Centre or Development, 2011
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7/27/2019 Case studies UNDP: AHARAM TRADITIONAL CROPS PRODUCERS' COMPANY, India
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Equator Initiative
Environment and Energy GroupUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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New York, NY 10017
Tel: +1 646 781 4023
www.equatorinitiative.org
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UNs global development network, advocating or change
onnecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better lie.
The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizati
o recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.
2012 by Equator Initiative
All rights reserved
FURTHER REFERENCE
Covenant Centre or Development websiteccdgroups.org/index.php
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