Working together to grow and sell!

innocent drinks have been supporting FYF projects through their foundation for the last 7 years. In 2004 they first invested in a project that enabled 1,520 dalit women (from the most marginalised caste in India) to gain access to affordable loans, sustainable agriculture training and equipment. Working through the project the women have been able to harvest enough to feed their families all year round... but they didn’t want to stop there!

Once the women were producing a surplus they knew they could sell their vegetables to earn a much-needed income. 

The problem was if they sold as individuals they would receive low returns from their produce. So they asked us to facilitate a collective approach. In response, a Vegetable Growers’ Association was established so women could sell their produce collectively and link to markets so they could get a better price.

 A special visit...

In February 2011, Emilie Stephenson, a member of the innocent team, went to Uttar Pradesh to see this in action! Emilie met with village groups and  joined a mother's group meeting about micro-loans and business. These groups help encourage the community to work together so that initiatives like the Vegetable Growers’ Association can be so successful in  transforming the lives of thousands of families. She also visited one of the vegetable growers programmes where we provide water pumps and help the farmers diversify and improve their crops (and she came away with plenty!).

“It was lovely to meet such wonderful and dedicated people and learn more about the work. It was also truly inspiring to spend time with the villagers and hear from their own mouths how much their lives had changed thanks to the project. It made me really proud to be part of the innocent foundation.”

The next three years

 With support from the innocent foundation, we will develop the Vegetable Growers’ Association and ensure the sustainability and long-term profitability of the Association for its 1,520 members. We will also expand our project to provide training in sustainable farming methods to a further 2,000 dalit farming families who currently endure chronic hunger and poverty.

With new farming techniques and support the women will be able to boost their harvests and produce nutritious crops all year round. And, when they grow a surplus they will be linked to the able to the Vegetable Growers’ Association so they can build a stable livelihood.

“There have been so many positive changes, I cannot express my happiness! Through the project, things have changed so much.  Before, we had no money.  We could not even afford medicine when our children were sick.  Now, we have been able to access loans and training in sustainable farming to improve our agriculture and our incomes."

Sumitra Devi

Through initiatives such as the Vegetable Growers Association, women who  previously could not feed their families for six months a year, now have the skills to produce food all year round, and still have enough surplus to sell and generate an income. They can support their family and start to build a future free from hunger and poverty.

Read more about FYF in action.