Maharashtra, in Western India, is home to millions of smallholder farmers who struggle with adapting to varying seasonal and climatic conditions. To address the challenges posed by water scarcity, farmers in the state are actively adopting Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). This technique significantly reduces irrigation water consumption in rice cultivation and reduces methane emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gasses. By leveraging the power of farmer collectives, we aim to scale up the adoption of AWD across Maharashtra. These collectives created by our program serve as a platform and an institutional body for farmers to access finance, crop storage, and increased prices. The institutionalized approach, along with training and support, enables farmers to implement AWD in a large-scale, organized manner. Such an innovative pathway is a crucial step toward building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future for the state.
Maharashtra, India
Project Location: Maharashtra, India
Methodology: Methane Emission Reduction by Adjusted Water Management Practice in Rice Cultivation
Standard: Gold Standard
Plantation Area: 18,156 HA
Number of Plots: 134,314
Total Farmer Groups: 278
Farmers Engaged: 63,734+
One of the key strengths of our project is the formation of farmer collectives, which play a crucial role in promoting more sustainable agricultural practices and helping with the livelihoods of smallholders. These collectives provide a platform for farmers to share knowledge and collectively address common challenges. By grouping together, they can pool their resources, negotiate better terms with suppliers and buyers, and gain access to mainstream finance, a crucial outcome of this program. To further enhance the financial capabilities of these collectives, we have initiated the creation of group bank accounts, which could become recipient accounts for other financial products such as input cost credit or insurance.
The power of the collective allows these smallholders to access crop storage and finance, two important components of the economies of rice cultivation. Additionally, the stress on water resources increases costs and hampers the quality of rice production. All in all, this program allows for a more sustainable and rewarding price of produce for the farmers while funding institutional systems that make rice growing more profitable in the long run.
Sustainable rice cultivation in India using AWD promotes responsible water use and sustainable agricultural production practices in the country’s water-stressed regions. By optimizing resource utilization and minimizing waste, rice cultivation can become more sustainable and efficient. This contributes to sustainable consumption and production patterns and reduces agriculture’s environmental impacts. This program will also exemplify sustainable procurement within one’s value chain.
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) practices reduce methane emissions by up to 40%, promoting environmental sustainability. The added benefits of water conservation include increasing groundwater levels in water-stressed areas, which underline the adaptation components of such programs. This demonstrates that smallholder agriculture can be both productive and environmentally responsible, contributing to climate action while enhancing the living wages of farm workers.
The program bases itself on partnerships and groups. This form of micro-farm-level alliance is crucial in achieving sustainable agro solutions at scale. The power of a smallholder-led collaborative effort cannot be emphasized enough. The program also focuses on higher-level partnerships such as public services, academic bodies, and financial institutions. Nevertheless, the real key players are these thousands of farmers partnering up for a common goal.
The power of the collective allows these smallholders to access crop storage and finance, two important components of the economies of rice cultivation. Additionally, the stress on water resources increases costs and hampers the quality of rice production. All in all, this program allows for a more sustainable and rewarding price of produce for the farmers while funding institutional systems that make rice growing more profitable in the long run.
Sustainable rice cultivation in India using AWD promotes responsible water use and sustainable agricultural production practices in the country’s water-stressed regions. By optimizing resource utilization and minimizing waste, rice cultivation can become more sustainable and efficient. This contributes to sustainable consumption and production patterns and reduces agriculture’s environmental impacts. This program will also exemplify sustainable procurement within one’s value chain.
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) practices reduce methane emissions by up to 40%, promoting environmental sustainability. The added benefits of water conservation include increasing groundwater levels in water-stressed areas, which underline the adaptation components of such programs. This demonstrates that smallholder agriculture can be both productive and environmentally responsible, contributing to climate action while enhancing the living wages of farm workers.
The program bases itself on partnerships and groups. This form of micro-farm-level alliance is crucial in achieving sustainable agro solutions at scale. The power of a smallholder-led collaborative effort cannot be emphasized enough. The program also focuses on higher-level partnerships such as public services, academic bodies, and financial institutions. Nevertheless, the real key players are these thousands of farmers partnering up for a common goal.
Farmer
Pathargota, Madhya Pradesh, India
