Promoting Heritage Agriculture Through a Tech Enabled Pathway for Livelihood Upgradation
Overview
Doubling farmers’ income has been one of the key objectives of the Government of India.However, opportunities in all agricultural commodities and food value chains are not thesame. If a strategic differentiation can be made to identify commodities with uniqueinherent value as a key differentiator, then a framework can be operationalised to accruemore benefits to the associated stakeholders.
For the modern consumer, more unique the produce, the better the potential of valuerealisation and aspirational positioning. While in theory, growers and processors associatedwith such commodities should have greater pride in their produce and have higher returnson investment, in practice, it doesn’t quite work out. So where are the gaps?
How can such commodities with higher inherent value be identified?What interventions are needed to bring them to the spotlight and make them morerewarding for the stakeholders?
As policy makers, is there a need for a differentiated approach to such niche commoditiesand can India gain better global visibility by promotion of such commodities?
While GI tag presents a framework for commodity differentiation, how far have we beenable to actualise the potential?Can the concerns around sustainability, farmer welfare and culturally aware consumptionmerged for the benefit of all stakeholders in the agri-food ecosystem?
There are critical gaps in our understanding of critical commodities and it informs how welet such potential lie unexplored and underutilised. There is a need to plug such gaps, bringin a new understanding and approach to our agricultural heritage and roll it out acrosssections of such value chains.
For the modern consumer, more unique the produce, the better the potential of valuerealisation and aspirational positioning. While in theory, growers and processors associatedwith such commodities should have greater pride in their produce and have higher returnson investment, in practice, it doesn’t quite work out. So where are the gaps?
How can such commodities with higher inherent value be identified?What interventions are needed to bring them to the spotlight and make them morerewarding for the stakeholders?
As policy makers, is there a need for a differentiated approach to such niche commoditiesand can India gain better global visibility by promotion of such commodities?
While GI tag presents a framework for commodity differentiation, how far have we beenable to actualise the potential?Can the concerns around sustainability, farmer welfare and culturally aware consumptionmerged for the benefit of all stakeholders in the agri-food ecosystem?
There are critical gaps in our understanding of critical commodities and it informs how welet such potential lie unexplored and underutilised. There is a need to plug such gaps, bringin a new understanding and approach to our agricultural heritage and roll it out acrosssections of such value chains.
The Strategic Approach
The project will study 4 value chains and provide a framework for upgradation that benefits
all stakeholders. The 4 commodities whose value chains will be studied are:
Galgal
Turmeric
Mahua
Jamun
In addition to the study of these commodity specific ecosystems, the project will have fourhorizontal pillars:
1. Intellectual property & GI certification framework
2. The retail network
3. Sustainability, Technology & Green Interventions
4. Positioning & storytelling
Together these eight pillars will decide the approach and content of the project. They havebeen chosen to enable us to cover all aspects of the commodity value chain and all majorstakeholders involved in it.
There will be a combination of physical and virtual consultations and dissemination. As perthe physical consultation and dissemination, here are the engagements:
1. 1 sub-regional consultation meeting with 20 regional stakeholders
2. 1 sub-regional dissemination meeting with 30 regional stakeholders
3. 1 National dissemination meeting with 50 national stakeholders
4. 4 Focus Group Discussions for Detailed Value Chain Analysis:
i. Galgal – Region of engagement - Uttarakhand and Himachal
ii. Turmeric – Region of engagement - Kandhamal, Odisha
iii. Mahua – Region of engagement - Goa, Odisha, MP and West Bengal
iv. Jamun – Region of engagement - Goa, MP, Delhi
There will be a combination of physical and virtual consultations and dissemination. As perthe physical consultation and dissemination, here are the engagements:
1. 1 sub-regional consultation meeting with 20 regional stakeholders
2. 1 sub-regional dissemination meeting with 30 regional stakeholders
3. 1 National dissemination meeting with 50 national stakeholders
4. 4 Focus Group Discussions for Detailed Value Chain Analysis:
i. Galgal – Region of engagement - Uttarakhand and Himachal
ii. Turmeric – Region of engagement - Kandhamal, Odisha
iii. Mahua – Region of engagement - Goa, Odisha, MP and West Bengal
iv. Jamun – Region of engagement - Goa, MP, Delhi
