The economic condition in Nilgiris (India) depends on success and failure of horticulture crops. Climate change has resulted in limited water availability for 4-6 months. Excessive application of chemical fertilisers has resulted in declining soil fertility. Additionally, faecal sludge & solid waste in the area are poorly managed impacting the environment.

To change this negative cycle, women farmers in the Nilgiris buy and apply co-compost. This co-compost is produced by women self-help groups through mixing domestic organic waste with faecal sludge. The sites are owned by local governments. Women farmers are organised into Women Farmers Groups or Producer Groups. They access the market directly by obtaining advance purchase orders by an agri-marketing company named LEAF to procure crops grown by farmers (to eliminate middle-men).

Women farmers who use co-compost were surveyed. Familiarity and high demand for regular compost makes the adoption process of co-compost much easier. Promotion of co-compost is marketed directly through FPGs & FGs. Regular feedback sessions with farmers on co-compost helps to understand their needs and gets “social certification” from them.

Activities:
-Establishment of faecal sludge treatment sites in cooperation with women SHGs and local governments
-Organisation of private faecal sludge collectors
-Capacity building (technical and business) of women SHGs to operate co-compost production sites
-Production, sales and marketing of co-compost with ongoing monitoring and evaluation
-Organisation of women farmers into Groups or Producer Groups
-Development of business plans by women farmers and linkage MFIs
-Obtainment of advance purchase order and linkage to agri-marketing companies
-Regular feedback sessions with farmers

Filter / Tags

Market developmentFood security and productive sanitationRural areasSpecific to one or several countriesTreatment of faecal sludgeResource recovery Enabling environment and institutional strengtheningBiogas systems Composting, vermicomposting (solid waste), composting toiletsFaecal sludge treatment processesOtherDutch governmentSwedish governmentUnited States governmentOther funding source or unspecifiedFaeces or faecal sludgeGreywater or wastewaterRuralEnergy: biogasFertiliserInternational NGO

Related Countries

India

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