Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre (SREC) is driven by its vision and mission, through which it seeks to address the challenges posed by India’s rapidly increasing population and an equally rapid reduction of its poverty, putting pressure on its land and water resources. Today, consumers want more food, more fibre for cloth and more feed for their animals. SREC believes that this ever-growing demand can be sustained only if the agricultural sector makes a transition towards smart and sustainable land and water use, increase its production by adopting efficient processes, coupled with less pollution, greater precision in the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and a reduction in the use of water and energy.
SREC is working together with small farmers, workers, local authorities, private sector and research institutes as a catalyst for improved food production, a safer workplace, access to clean water, and a better income.
SREC Centre is a Charitable Trust established in December 2008, registered under the Indian Registration Act, 1908 and 80 G & 12 AA of The Income Tax Act, 1961. Wherein we,
Sixty-five-year-old Kanwar Lal of Narwal village in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh had been practicing chemical intensive farming on his 8-acre land for several years read more
How one of the largest leather clusters in India is turning to sustainability, one block at a time, with Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre’s ‘Waste to Walk’ read more
Forty-two-year-old Indira Kadam is an anganwadi worker in Munoli village in Belagavi district of Karnataka in southern India. A single woman, she read more
Issue/Volume: 28/02
From February to April 2025, Solidaridad supported farmers through a number of initia- tives-biochar demonstrations, training on automatic weather station (AWS) mainte- nance, crop-cutting experiments, distribution of tea carts, and more. Our efforts to pro- mote sustainability in soy cultivation gained recognition at a conference, while the Bharat- khand Consortium, supported by us, was honoured for its contributions to rural women development at the World Business Conclave. We also laid the groundwork for the future at a team retreat held in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.
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Solidaridad Asia–India Team Retreat Lays the Foundation for the Future
The Solidaridad Asia–India team recently organized a team retreat in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh. Nearly 100 team members and experts participated in the two-day event held on 7–8 April 2025.
The two-day event saw the introduction of the multi-annual strategic plan for 2026–2030, followed by discussions on the four core values anchoring the plan: Solidarity, Integrity, Solution–Orientation, and Impact. All the members also participated in eight relevant and interactive learning sessions spread over the two days. Each day hosted four expert-led parallel sessions on topics and areas critical to our ongoing work:
The team went back energised and with a clear understanding of the next 5-year organisational strategy.
A Tea Cart Initiative Opens Up Livelihood Opportunities for Small-Scale Tea Farmers and Sellers
In India, Solidaridad is working with small-scale tea farmers and sellers to create new markets for local tea and small business opportunities (for micro-entrepreneurs). One such initiative saw the recent inauguration of 10 tea carts in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. "This will popularise the teas made by the growers and also expand their markets," said Shatadru Chattopadhayay (Managing Director, Solidaridad Asia) at the event.
There are plans to scale up this initiative, and as many as 500 such carts will be distributed to tea sellers—from Assam in the northeast to the Nilgiris in the south. "We need new channels to merchandise our teas. This will turn out to be an effective option through which we can route our teas. Tea packets made in our factories will be available at the carts,” said Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty (President, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations).
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Bharatkhand Consortium Honoured for Its Contributions to Rural Women Development
The Bharatkhand Consortium of Farmer Producer Company Ltd, supported by Solidaridad, was awarded the prestigious award for “Outstanding Contribution in Rural Women Development” at the World Business Conclave 2025 on 12 April.
Bharatkhand has emerged as a force for change, empowering over 1 lakh women farmers and entrepreneurs by providing them with platforms to showcase and earn from their products. Several women-led farmer producer organizations (FPOs) under Bharatkhand are redefining rural entrepreneurship and agricultural leadership.
The World Business Conclave is a celebrated forum that recognizes the best small- to large-scale business brands, visionary entrepreneurs, and transformational leaders across India. This exclusive one-day event featured a dynamic mix of interactive panel discussions, talk series, and one-on-one speed business coaching sessions, drawing participation from business owners, startups, and changemakers from diverse sectors.
National Panchayati Raj Diwas Celebration Sees Conversations on Building Resilient Rural Communities
Solidaridad observed National Panchayati Raj Diwas on 24 April 2025, bringing together around 70 gram panchayats of Madhya Pradesh, India. Representatives, including sarpanches, deputy sarpanches, ward members, and members of various panchayat-level committees, attended the event.
The event opened the floor for discussions on the growing importance of regenerative agriculture in building resilient rural communities. Relevant topics such as soil health, biodiversity and water conservation, and good agricultural practices were thoroughly discussed, with an added emphasis on the need for locally led solutions to meet environmental and agricultural challenges.
Through a letter of consent, the participating panchayats reaffirmed their commitment to carrying out regenerative practices in the future. The event also promoted the cause of holistic rural development via a decentralized model extensively employed by panchayati raj institutions.
Conference in Indore Puts Spotlight on Driving Sustainability in India’s Soy Sector
Solidaridad recently participated in the International Soy Food Conference as a sustainability partner. The conference, organized by the Soy Food Promotion and Welfare Association (SFPWA) on 4–5 March, had the theme "Farm to Fork: Bridging the Protein Gap in India through Sustainable Soy Foods". Our contributions to the cause of sustainable soybean cultivation, among 3 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, were also recognized during the event.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Suresh Motwani (Programme Head, Vegetable Oils), said, "We envision a future where digital innovation, policy advocacy, and robust multi-stakeholder partnerships drive sustainability across India’s soybean ecosystem. Empowered farmer producer organizations, backed by stakeholders, civil society organizations, industry, and research institutions, will play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable farming practices and resilient value chains."
Solidaridad Showcases its MSME-Sector Interventions at Bengal Global Business Summit 2025
Solidaridad participated in the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit, held on February 5-6 in Kolkata. The event attracted over 5,000 delegates from around the world, including representatives from 40 countries.
Speaking at the Netherlands Country Session, Pradipta Konar (Senior Programme Manager, Leather, Solidaridad) highlighted our work in the MSME sector in leather and textiles through our innovative water-reduction technologies, focus on green tanning technologies, waste and carbon emission reduction, and upkeep of workers' welfare through different viable, technological, industry-based solutions.
A panel discussion on promoting Dutch cooperation in West Bengal, especially in the water sector, also yielded useful insights into the evolving landscape of cooperation between the Netherlands and India. This discussion was attended by Bernd Scholtz (Head of Economic and Commercial Department, Embassy of the Netherlands), Namit Shah (Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Kolkata), Manish Jain (Additional Chief Secretary for Waterway and Irrigation, Government of West Bengal), and other dignitaries.
Farmers Supported with Training on AWS Maintenance at Knowledge-Transfer Workshop
On 15 April, Solidaridad organized a knowledge-transfer workshop for farmers at Soraigundu village, the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. At the workshop, technical training was provided by experts from Pessl Instruments (a leading manufacturer and developer of smart agri-technology that monitors and maintains weather stations remotely.)
The primary objective of this workshop was to ensure the optimal utility of automatic weather station (AWS) sites, reflecting on past learnings related to handling and maintenance. The workshop featured hands-on exercises with various types of AWS equipment, focusing on upkeep and maintenance in specific areas.
The workshop aimed to support farmers with the following:
The 14 participants who attended the workshop included lead farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, demo plot holders and field team members.
A similar 2-day knowledge-transfer workshop had been held in Assam in February, where 57 participants were trained.
Tracking and Analysing the Impact of the Good Farming–Good Food Programme
The Good Farming–Good Food (GFGF) programme team in Madhya Pradesh recently conducted an impact assessment of the GFGH initiative. Their findings highlight the program’s success in incorporating soy and locally available fruits and vegetables into the diets of rural households, significantly improving nutrition and well-being.
Demonstration Sessions Highlight Biochar as Alternative to Cotton Stubble Burning
Biochar-preparation demonstrations were recently conducted in Maharashtra—on 1 April at Sawli Buzurg village in Nagpur district and on 8 April at Mozar in Ner block of Yavatmal district. The demonstration was conducted by Solidaridad’s agricultural experts. During the training, our staff discussed the nutritional content of biochar and its importance in improving soil health.
A similar session was held in Vidarbha’s cotton belt, where the burning of cotton stalks is a major issue. Since residue/waste from cotton harvesting can be used to make biochar, it has emerged as an alternative to the burning of cotton stalks. Biochar is also an important component of biofertilizers, thereby helping farmers save costs incurred on buying fertilizers from markets.
Another session was held on 10 April. Solidaridad-supported Bemda Dam FPO conducted a biochar demonstration at Mangladevi village in Ner block, Yavatmal district. Through such activities, FPOs supported by us are playing an important role in building the capacities of farmers on good practices.
Crop-Cutting Experiment in Rabi Demo Plots Demonstrate Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture
Under the Promotion of Regenerative Agriculture Practices for a Food-Secure and Climate-Resilient Future in the EU-India Partnerships project, a crop-cutting experiment (CCE) is being conducted in 11 districts of Madhya Pradesh. This exercise, which took place on mustard and wheat demonstration plots, sought to quantify the benefits of regenerative agriculture.
The CCE model eliminates biases in yield estimation, providing empirical data to guide regenerative farming practices and future scaling efforts. It also ensures a direct comparison between conventional and regenerative farming, assessing their respective impacts on yield and ecosystem health.
CCE Methodology:
Securing Health and Wealth
Swarnalata Biswal, a housewife from Kalianti village in Odisha’s Cuttack district, lives with her family of eight. In the past, she struggled to provide notorious meals to her family, relying mostly on rice and lentils with little intake of fruits and vegetables. This led to severe malnutrition in the family.
Around five months ago, she attended a mobilization meeting conducted by the Smart Agri Project. There she came to know about nutrition gardening and its benefits, particularly for adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women. She also acquired the requisite knowledge on ensuring nutrition for her family, and decided to start a nutrition garden on the premises of her house to improve dietary diversity and nutritional security.
In the nutrition garden she set up, Swarnalata cultivated various vegetables: tomato, brinjal, cauliflower, beans, bitter gourd, cucumber, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, spinach, coriander, fenugreek, water spinach, red and green amaranth, among others. This diversity enriched their diet with essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre, improving health and well-being. The garden also provided sufficient food for the family, eliminating their dependence and expenditure on market purchases of vegetables potentially laden with chemicals and fertilizers. Additionally, the surplus leafy vegetables and tomatoes grown in the first batch have helped Swarnalata earn ₹1,400 as well.
Having experienced the health and financial benefits of this eco-friendly practice, Swarnalata now intends to maintain the garden all year round.
Prema Sharma joined us on 8 April as a Senior Communication Officer at Bhopal. She is an experienced communications and public relations professional with 15 years’ experience in the development sector, specializing in rural areas. She is proficient in executing awareness programmes, developing public relations and communications plans, creating literature for IEC and publicity, writing for media and trainings.
Before joining Solidaridad, she worked with MGNREGA as Assistant Public Relations Officer. She did her Masters' in Electronic Media from Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. Her hobbies are theatre, story telling and exploring new places.
Asma Khan has joined as a Programme Officer at Bhopal on 8 April. With five years of experience in both the corporate and development sectors, she brings a strong background in entrepreneurship development and sustainable rural initiatives. She has strong experience in rural women entrepreneurship development, skill development, job creation, and strengthening linkages with Panchayats and regenerative agriculture. She holds a Master's in Business Administration from Integrated Management & Technology (IMT) Bhopal.
Preetismita Raul has joined as a Programme Officer with SREC. Her skills include coordination, reporting, and detailed documentation. She has prior experience in community engagement, programme coordination and mobilization. She has actively contributed in gender initiatives and fostered strong community involvement. She has completed her Bachelor's degree in agriculture from GIET University, Gunupur, Odisha, and a Master of Rural Management from KIIT School of Rural Management, Bhubaneswar.
Iqra Baig has joined as a Programme Officer with SREC. She comes with more than five years of work experience in stakeholder engagement, event planning and management and research and analysis. She was previously working with the Foundation for MSME Clusters as an Assistant Manager, where she successfully managed a project focused on Recycling Garment Textile Clusters in India, in collaboration with Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, and funded by Danida. She has completed an integrated BBA+MBA course from Amity University, Noida.
Tatheer Raza Zaidi
General Manager- Pollution Management in MSMEs
Mokshadev Das
Programme Manager-Farm Support Centre
