It all begins from the heart of wayanad
In the developing world, small farmers livelihoods are being threatened due to the liberalization and privatization of Indian agriculture and the increasing interest of private capital in agribusiness sector. The deregulation and the subsequent decline in state subsidies for production inputs such as water, electricity, fertilizer and seeds created an environment of greater instability and competition for many small farmers.
Small holder agriculture faces several constraints related to the small size of the operation. These constraints includes the inability to scale economy, low bargaining power, scarcity of capital, lack of market access, shortage of knowledge, market imperfections and poor infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, we have emerged as a collective group in the small region of Wayanad to enhance farmer’s competitiveness and increase their advantage in emerging market opportunities. Unlike contract farming or outgrowing, we are empowering farmer community and ensure their economic viability to our fullest capacity.
Our Land. Our Pride.
Set high on the Western Ghats, Wayanad is the beautiful district of Kerala famous for its breathtaking waterfalls, captivating sights and savouring native cuisines. The name Wayanad is derived from Vayal Nadu which means the land of paddy fields. The mountains and forests, the valleys and the monsoons together have created an ecosystem for Wayanad which gave the gift of fertile land. Bountiful crops of coffee, pepper, paddy, coconut, cardamom, ginger and other spices is the mainstay of the people of this land.
Our Coffee Farming Lands
Amidst the rolling Western Ghats (Sahyadri) range in the vicinity of Wayanad, we have our small coffee farming lands that receive 3000-4000mm of rainfall annually on the elevation of 700-2100 meter above sea level. Rich deep shady forest nurtures our grown coffee.
Western Ghats predominantly produce Robusta about 55-65,000 Mt annually in Wayanad and Arabica mainly in Idukki district. In Western Ghats, coffee is grown on hilly well-defined two-tier mixed shady canopy comprised of evergreen trees.
Nearly 50 different forest shady trees are found in coffee plantations. These shady and heavy rooted trees prevent soil erosion on sloping terrain, enrich the soil by recycling nutrients from deeper layers, and protect the coffee plants from seasonal turbulence in the temperature and play host to diverse flora and fauna.
India’s coffee growing regions have diverse climatic conditions, which are well suited for cultivation of different varieties of coffee. Some regions with high elevations are ideally suited for growing Arabica of mild quality while those with warm humid conditions are best suited for Robusta.
Our Farmers
95% of our economy comes from agriculture income. However, the farming communities are poor and holding an average of 1 to 5 acres of land and intensive agriculture is practiced. Our farmers are poor and living exclusively with cultivation as means of livelihood.
Due to the rich soil heavy migration took place to Western Ghats from the plains of Kerala since 1960s, this region of Wayanad is famous for exotic food crops, coffee, spices, herbs and medicinal plants. This resulted a heavy threat to the flora and fauna of Wayanad and its extinction. The immigrants engaged in farming and started producing spices, tea and coffee etc. The uncontrolled urbanization resulted imbalance in the economy, climate changes, loss of water body, natural calamity like flood, and farm land exploitation. As the economy developed, all these factors affected our native farmers adversely.
Challenges faced by our native farmers
• Financial crunch
• Lack of guidance
• The old method of farming
• No good investments
• Youngsters are not interested in farming
• Production cost is high and continuously increasing
• Fluctuating market price
• Unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization
• Global coffee markets create uncertainty for coffee farmers communities
• Climatic change
• Several farmers suicides are reported due to debt issues
• Disturbance of wildlife
Our Reforms and Strategy
“Our dedication to organic and sustainable agriculture presents a substantial opportunity to our farmers looking for a more viable economic stability and dignity.”
• Working on the fundamentals of sustainability to mitigate the effects of climate change
• To provide operational excellence to the farmers
• Extract maximum value for the produce to inspire farmers for optimizing capital productivity
• Global Vision, Local Action
• Working with local experts who know the soil and its best utilization
• Aiming to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals related to education, climate change, poverty, health and life on earth
• Focusing on sustainable practices for higher volumes, quality and incomes for a crop that is notoriously difficult to grow, and predominantly cultivated by smallholder farmers.
• Providing jobs to the local people, protecting the environment, training farming communities and supporting health and education projects
• Increase farm productivity by making key recommendations on fertilizer usage, farm rehabilitation, and good agricultural practice support
• To manage end-to-end traceability
• Helping smallholder farmers to address the challenges they face and make their production more sustainable and profitable
• We believe that sustainable agriculture is closely linked with farmers’ economic wellbeing. That is why we choose to work directly with coffee farmers on the ground, supporting them through initiatives that aim to increase their income and productivity through sustainable practices.
• We reach more farmers and contribute to a sustainable coffee supply chain globally
• Contribution to climate protection
• Working towards poverty alleviation