ROLE OF COMMUNITY BASED INSTITUTION IN ENHANCING FARM PRODUCTIVITY,
ENSURING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY
International Food Security Dialogue 2014
“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional Security in a Changing World.”
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
G.VENKATESAN, S.ABUBACKER SIDDICK, E.D.I.OLIVER KING, V.BALAMURUGAN, K.MATHESH
Alleviating Poverty and Malnutrition in Agro biodiversity Hotspots Project, M.S.SWAMINATHAN RESEACH FOUNDATION, Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, India
Community Institution – Tradition to Contemporary
• Traditional panchayat – Community Governance
• Panchayatraj systems – 1980’s• Social capital building - SHGs movement in
Tamil Nadu – Since 1980’s • Community institution - Self Help Groups,
Farmers club, Thematic groups • Crucial role in sustaining through micro
credit and thrift/ savings • Livelihood enhancement programs of the
stateHosted By: Sponsored By:
Community Institutions building process in Kolli Hills
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
A decade old movement organized community members in to a concept based groups
Concept based community institutions to conserve traditional agriculture system, Crops for Food and nutritional security, herbal cultivation, local healers and folk arts
Promotion of organic farming and Entrepreneurship Development for sustainable livelihood
Providing training on capacity building for their livelihood
Promotion of Small Scale on farm and off farm Enterprises for the Small and Marginal Farm Families
Community Mobilization
Group formation
Technology Transfer
System Management
System Management
KHABCoFED
Land Less14%
Below 25061%
250-50020%
Above 5005%
Household Land Holding Details (in %)
Demographic & Land Holding status in APM site, Kolli Hills
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Male Female0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
0-5
06-18
19 - 65
above 65
Demographic Details
Valappur Panchayat
Community Institutions Nurtured in APM context
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Community Based Institution
Purpose
Farmers Research Group (FRG)
Assessment of constraints on cultivation practices, Participatory research trials and demonstrations, Vermi-compostingConservation and Management of Nutritious Underutilized crops
Farmers Club (FC) Seed bank, Pulverizer units, Farm machinery utilization and maintenance
Self Help Groups (SHG) & Women Farmers Club (WFC)
Community enterprise activities
Pond User Group (PUG) Carp fish culture in community ponds and private wells
Community Action Groups on Nutrition (CAN)
Nutrition awareness trainingBehavioral Change Communication
Community Institution in APM site in Kolli Hills 2011-2014
PSC+VKCMC SHG FC FRG NAG
16
66
114
36
8
50
88
134
114
Gender Ratio in Community Based Institutions
Male
Female
Farmers Research GroupConstraints in Farming
• Limited access to quality seeds in time•Reduced diversity of local food crops• Lack of awareness on crop management practices
Research Group as Solution •Conservation and multiplication of seeds of local food and cash crops
•Seeing is believing (Field exposures on improved cultivation practice )
•Sharing traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge and distribution of local land races and improved varietyHosted By: Sponsored By:
Marginal Farmers
Small Farmers
Medium
Big Farmers
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Farmers Participation in Agriculture Research TrialsMale Female
Number of participants
Farm
ers
Cate
gory
Bas
ed o
n la
ndho
ldin
g
Farmers Research Group Learning and Sharing Platform
•Enabling a learning and discussion platform for different class of farm families
•Encouraging farm families on cultivation of nutritious and under utilized crops
•Participatory assessment on constraints of cultivation practices
•Participation in varietal selection trials & demonstrations•Selection of best varieties and multiplication of its seeds•Introducing processing mills at locally
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
• Millet – 16 varieties observed for suitable variety selection• Paddy – 8 varieties (Kharif) & 6 varieties (Rabi)• Cassava – 11 varieties observed for selecting the best• Banana – Integrated approach on pest & disease control• Vermi-composting – 200 farm families trained and involved in vermicompost & vermi-wash production
Farmers Club - Promising PathwayConstraints of Farmers
• Lack of awareness on conservation, multiplication and seed storage
• Lack of awareness on collective action on plant protection
• Limited access to get government entitlement and subsidy schemes
Farmers Club a Forum to Discuss
•Collection and Conservation of seeds on local food and cash crops at locally
•Multiplication of quality seeds and distribution
•Promoting seeds exchange practice among farmers
•Provision of farm equipments for ease of access at limited cost
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
•Farmers Clubs – 11•Total members – 154 (Female-88, Male-66)
•Total village seed banks – 20
•Pulverizing units – 3
•Power tiller operation & management group – 1 (F6, M6)
Pond User Groups•Underutilized community ponds and private farm ponds•Limited access and availability of fish•Lack of awareness on fish varieties and fish farming•Lack of awareness on cooking of fish foods among women•Limited awareness about fish based nutrition
Sponsored By:
•Understand fresh water fish farming - Underutilized community ponds brought in to optimal use on carp fish farming
•Ensuring harvest and consumption at local level•Participation in Fish dressing and Cooking demonstrations
•women in the group have a stake in decision making, feeding, managing pond and selling of fish.
Hosted By:
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Under-utilized water bodies and Community Governance
MARGINALSMALL
MEDIUMLARGE
LAND LESS
0
5
10
15
20
25
Land based category of - farmers participation in Pond User Group
FEMALE MALE
•Total number of Community Ponds – 4•Total private farm ponds – 29•Total number of Pond User Groups – 4•Total members in the pond user group - 92
Community Action Group on Nutrition (CAN)•Non diversified food menu•Prevalence of nutritional deficiency diseases•Lack of nutritional awareness among children and women•Lack of awareness on healthy cooking practice •Lack of awareness on anaemia among adolescents/ Mothers
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Good Nutritional Practice (GNP)s• Nutrition garden groups and Family Nutrition Education • Establishment and Management of Home Nutrition Gardens • Cookery Demonstration and Training• Children Nutrition Clubs for awareness training on personal
hygiene among school children • Anemia awareness training for Adolescent groups, PNC/ANC
mothers• Behavioral Change Communication programs
for target groups in villages • Promotion of nutritive native food crops in home nutrition garden
Nutrition Awareness
management of Kitchen Gardens
Personal Hy-giene / anemia
control
Family Nutri-tion
School children program Cooking Demo
Field Exposure visits
Children Nutrition Club
Nursery Production
Processing of Veg/ Fruits
Adolescent girls Nutrition
Training and Awareness Program on Nutrition
Village Action Groups on Nutrition Female Male Total
Adolescent Girls group 67 0 67Child Nutrition club 47 36 83School Children Group 180 72 252
Nutrition Garden Groups 199 48 247
Below 15
15-30
30-45
45 & above
59
220
284
60
39
45
68
46
Age wise & Gendered Participation in Nutrition Awareness Programs
Female Male
Entrepreneurial Groups• Lack of local employment opportunities and
unequal access to income generating opportunities
• Increasing migration and poor access to nutritive food
• Lack of awareness on diverse income sources that build upon local resources/crops and livestock
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Actions Key Outputs
Power tiller operating unit
Earned Net income =Rs. 15000/-Season
Country chicken rearing in cage system
Earned Net Income =Rs. 15072/- from one cycle (on going)
Country chicken rearing in Shed system
Earned Net income Rs= 28012 from one cycle, II batch taken up by the group
Stall fed Goat Rearing unit (2 groups)
Number increased (birth to colts)Expected Net income Rs.32000/ year
Community Feedback Mechanism
•Project Site Committee (PSC) -advising on implementing project activities
•Council of members from local panchayat, lead farmers and SHG representatives
•A forum to learn and share about the adoption of implementing project activities by the community
• Close monitoring and follow-up of activities with project team membersSponsored By:
Panchayat Members
Lead Farmers
Women Representa-tives
MSSRF Representatives
Project Site Committee Members
Hosted By:
Community Based Knowledge Management
• Poor access to information and communication• Lack of awareness on nutrition and food security entitlements
Sponsored By:
Panchay
at Repre-
sen-tatives
School Teachers
Lead Farmers (M+F)
MSSRF
Repre-
sen-tatives
VKC - Management Committee
• Managing the knowledge centers and supporting for its effective functioning
• Imparting scientific information and knowledge through the knowledge workers
• Computer and adult literacy to the community
• Know about Government schemes and social entitlements
Hosted By:
Farm Productivity Nutrition Training Fish - Training Enterprise
294
787
74154
337
316
11936
Gendered Participation in Major Training Program Organized Through Village Knowledge Centre and Village Resource Centre
Female Male
Linkages - Activity and Sustainability
• Sustainability of the activity • Imparting need based training to groups• Promoting locally suitable livelihood activity
• Sustainability of the institutions» Providing training on managing group» Linking with research and training institution» Linking with banks and National Development
Agencies for financial and training support» Merging with KHABCoFED a unique body of
Biodiversity Conservers Federation for sustainable run
Sponsored By:
Hosted By: Sponsored By:
Thank You