Introduction

CIKS has been involved in varied activities relating to organic agriculture for the last twelve years.  These activities are focused on capacity building for organic farming, production of educational and training material, research in identified focus areas and the building up of farmers’ institutions for implementing varied activities relating to organic farming. The core strengths of CIKS are in the area of training, extension and research. In the current project, we shall build on these strengths not only for strengthening activities in the geographical areas where we are directly involved in field work but also to build capacity of a wide section of NGOs and CBOs, to begin with, in Tamilnadu. 

We have also identified a cluster of activities to create a larger enabling environment, which includes working out sustainable modules for input production, facilitation and promotion of organic certification and the initiation of a marketing system.  In the area of marketing and trade we do not have in-house competence and we plan to acquire a core team and a panel of consultants with background in this area.  With their help, the project plans to launch a farmers institution, the precise nature of which will be arrived at, by exploring institutional options and working out a suitable business plan and operational plan to launch the organization.  An important objective would be to establish a suitable institution to carry out all activities related to trade and marketing of organic produce.

Support will be provided for organic cultivation by helping farmers with reliable inputs.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME COMPONENTS

The following is an overview of the three major programme components

I. Field activities in the CIKS area

A.Support for cultivation
We plan to convert about 500 acres of land chosen in suitable clusters to year round organic cultivation. The land holders would be a mixture of small and marginal farmers with a small number of farmers with large land holdings also participating. Support will be provided for cultivation through – organizing a supply chain and reliable inputs, comprehensive training programmes on various aspects of organic farming, trainers training programme to create a cadre of trainers including farmers trainers and exposure visits to other farmers and groups. Seed banks for supply of traditional paddy varieties would be set up and systematic cultivation of green manure seeds will be taken up. Loan from a revolving fund would be made available to meet cultivation expenses to a limited extent and to initiate small enterprises to support organic farming. We would also undertake a partial buyback of the organic produce for the first 1 – 2 years, offering support during the transition period.

Organic paddy field of a beneficiary.

B.Certification

We would facilitate the certification of land as organic through group certification procedures employing Internal Control Systems (ICS).

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II.Creating an enabling environment

A. Working out sustainable modules for inputs to organic farming
A neem / oilseed expeller unit as well as a biofertiliser unit will be set up on an experimental basis. For each of these units, we would work out a revenue generation model so that we would have a bankable proposition based on which more units can be set up in future.

B. Capacity building on organic farming for other farmers groups
Outside of our immediate field area, we would identify a set of three NGOs in and around Tamilnadu every year. In collaboration with these NGOs, we would train 200 farmers in those localities on the basic techniques of organic farming. A selected number of these farmers who are potential trainers will also be taken for exposure visits, imparted advanced training and supported through the NGOs for setting up micro enterprises to support organic farming.

Over 200 farmers will be trained on basic organic farming techniques as a part of the project

C.Promotion of organic certification through ICS
We would produce a comprehensive manual on various aspects of certification through ICS, field test the manuals and publish the finalized version in English and Tamil.

D.Initiation of marketing system
We consider this to be a critical initiative in this project and it would include the following elements.

We are marketing organic produce under the brand name 'Arogyam', which means 'Health' in Tamil. We already have a base of regular customers, on which we plan to expand considerably.

• Set up a system for procurement, transport, processing and storage of a wide range of organic produce including paddy, rice, oilseeds, pulses and vegetables. 
• In the initial phase, we would target the upper middle class consumers in the city of Chennai.  A recent market survey of organic foods has estimated that Chennai has a population of 3.8 lakhs in the upper middle class segment of which about 20% constituting 76,000 persons (about 15,000 families) can consistute a consumer base for organic farming.  Our marketing strategy envisages that to begin with we would reach out to at least 10% of this segment constituting about 1500 families by focusing our effort in selected geographical areas in the Chennai city.  In due course, we will hope to be able to double this segment to about 3000 families by the end of the third year.  Our strategy for marketing consumer education etc., will be evolved with this segment in mind.
• It has been projected that there are 14.2 lakhs persons in the middle class constituting 2.84 lakh families.  After the first year of marketing effort, we would enlarge the marketing strategy to include at least 1% of this consumer base in our marketing efforts by focusing on clusters of potential middle class consumers in a specific manner (eg. Residents of a housing locality, employees of a factory or industrial township etc.)
• We have worked out that we can get started with a marketing system that can be sustained if we convert 500 acres of land to year round organic cultivation under this project and can raise a capital of Rs.25 lakhs.  Such as system will –
• Break even if we procure about 50% of produce from the 500 acres of land that is converted to organic.
• Leave sufficient produce for local consumption and sales in the local taluk / district etc.
• Set up a basic infrastructure and marketing mechanism that can continue as a business proposition and
• Offer good scope for future expansion.

A panel discussion at a meet organised by CIKS to explore and evolve strategies for the marketing of organic produce.

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III.Building a farmers institution

Right in the beginning of this programme, we will set up a core team with a team leader and a support staff and a panel of consultants.  This team would have two parallel tasks to perform.

• Overall supervision and guidance of the marketing system that is initiated.
• Undertake marketing surveys, assess the requirement of logistics, understand the framework of policies, rules and regulations etc., to come up with a form of institution that is suitable to take up trade and market related efforts.  The team would also put in place a business plan and an operational plan and the new institution is expected to be launched by the end of the first year.  It is expected that this institution will carry out all future activities related to trade and marketing of organic produce.  

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Activities implemented and under implementation