Solidaridad Showcases Sustainable and Circular Leather Innovations at Kanpur Leather Fair

The Solidaridad teams from Tamil Nadu and Kanpur recently showcased their innovative waste-to-value leather products at the Leather Fair held from 3–7 October 2024 in Kanpur.

The Tamil Nadu team presented eco-friendly leather products from the circular interventions under the European Union–SWITCH-Asia project in Tamil Nadu’s leather clusters, while the Kanpur team highlighted leather-based items crafted by women artisans. The fair drew significant attention, with visitors praising the sustainable and circular approach to leather production.

Read more here.

Local Women’s Group in Kerala Supported with Training on Apiculture

Apiculture (beekeeping) is an employment-generating, long-term development activity. It is an excellent agro-based subsidiary enterprise that can be both the main and a supplementary source of income for rural farmers.

With the aim to promote apiculture as an alternative source of livelihood among women, Solidaridad, supported by Bridgestone India, conducted a two-day training programme on apiculture for a local women farmers' group. The session, organized under Unnati, the sustainable natural rubber initiative, saw the participation of 40 farmers, including 20 women. The event, held from 9 October, was attended and inaugurated by K.P. Saleenamma (Principal Agricultural Officer, Idukki), in Muttom, Idukki district, Kerala.

Trainers Receive Useful Lessons on Intercropping in Rubber Plantations

A Training of Trainers (ToT) session was organized on 8 October 2024 for the lead farmers under Unnati, the sustainable natural rubber initiative at Pala, Kottayam district, Kerala. The session improved farmers' awareness of coffee and cocoa intercropping in rubber plantations. Other topics broadly covered were sapling maintenance, fertilizer application, pest and disease management, drought management, and more. The sessions were led by an assistant professor from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Kottayam, and featured 42 farmers, including 32 lead farmers.

OHS Framework for Leather Industry Launched

Under the EU-SWITCH Asia-funded project in the Kolkata leather cluster, Solidaridad launched a comprehensive occupational health and safety (OHS) framework developed collaboratively by our teams in Kolkata, Kanpur and Chennai. This framework aims to address industry-specific health and safety challenges, fostering a culture of well-being and safety, particularly in the Kanpur-Unnao cluster.

The framework was introduced at a two-day workshop held on 8–9 October in Kanpur. The workshop, focusing on OHS, safe chemical handling, and fire and safety, was attended by industry representatives and workers, and equipped participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to minimize workplace risks.

Women FPOs Receive Insights on Green Jobs and Agri Enterprises

Early in October, Solidaridad conducted training for women FPO members at Mangaladevi village in Yavatmal district and Talegaon Dashasar village in Amravati district, Maharashtra. Solidaridad staff interacted with the members of a newly formed women’s FPO (in Yavatmal) and guided them on the activities they could plan through their organization.

At Talegaon village, members of the Deepak Jyoti Women’s FPO gathered at Solidaridad’s Resource and Training Centre, where they received insights on green jobs and small-scale agri enterprises from Solidaridad experts.

Convergence Training Session Focuses on Holistic Farm Management

Solidaridad recently organized a training session in convergence with Krishi Vigyan Kendra and the Agriculture Department, at Sonegaon Kharda village in Amravati district, Maharashtra. Agriculture experts from KVK Ghatkhed, and Solidaridad staff discussed integrated nutrient and pest management in cotton farming, soil health maintenance, soil testing, carbon sequestration, and measures to avoid pink bollworm attacks. Demonstrations on bio-inputs, highlighting their benefits and role in reducing costs of production, were also carried out.

Health Camps in Kolkata Tanneries Promote Wellness among Workers

From October 21–24, Solidaridad conducted health camps and interactive sessions at various tanneries in the Kolkata leather cluster. The activities, organized under the project we are implementing in collaboration with the European Union, the Netherlands Embassy, and Dugros, aimed at educating employees regarding the best health and safety practices.

At the camps, the critical health parameters of over 650 employees were measured, and medicines prescribed in consultation with doctors. For those over 50, complete health check-ups were held. The doctors also initiated open discussions on health challenges faced by tannery workers and how to overcome them.

World Cotton Day
Symposium Spotlights Role of Regenerative Agriculture in Cotton Value Chains

On World Cotton Day 2024, earlier this week, Solidaridad organized a symposium, in collaboration with the Alliance of Cotton & Textile Stakeholders on Regenerative Agriculture (ACRE) and the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), highlighting the importance of regenerative agriculture in India's cotton value chain.

With a diverse lineup of panelists, including sustainability managers, farmers, and experts, the symposium created a platform for collaborative dialogue and innovative solutions to promote regenerative agricultural practices for a sustainable cotton economy in India. The symposium also talked about the necessity of 'fair inclusion' and 'fair voice' for regenagri-certified farmers, and the need to strike a balance with the textile industry.

Read more here.

Experts Share Insights on Holistic, Regenerative Practices in Cotton Farming

On 7 October 2024, Solidaridad’s team in Maharashtra observed World Cotton Day at its State Resource and Training Centre in Kalmeshwar, Nagpur district. Also leading the event were Dr. Vijay Waghmare (Head, Crop Improvement at Central Institute of Cotton Research–CICR, Nagpur), Dr. Santhy (Principal Scientist at CICR, Nagpur), Dr. Archana Kadu (Project Director, Agriculture Technology Management Agency–ATMA) and the Kalmeshwar Block Agriculture officer.

The farmers gained knowledge on different topics such as improving soil health, soil testing, carbon sequestration, the benefits of using non-GMO, indigenous cotton seeds, and the reduction in production costs with the use of bio-inputs. The scientists and the farmers also visited the cotton demo plot at the State Resource and Training Centre, where an indigenous variety of the crop was being grown.

A similar activity was held the following day at Anjanwati village in Dhamangaon Railway block, Amravati district.

Reaping the Sweet Yields of Tuber Crop Farming

50-year-old Jaypal Singh Bengera, a smallholder farmer hailing from Karanji village in Odisha’s Cuttack district, supports a family of 12 members through farming activities. Owning two acres of cultivable land, Jaypal joined the Smart Agri Project a year ago to improve his practices and livelihood.

In this region, the Smart Agri Project is collaborating with the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) to promote the cultivation of tuber crops. Jaypal received sweet potato vines free of cost, which he cultivated on an acre of land. He employed regenerative practices such as applying manure, vermicompost, and jeevamruta for nutrition management, and agneyastra for pest control. Jaypal hopes to receive a healthy yield of 40–50 quintals.

The decision to practise tuber cultivation has reaped economic benefits for Jaypal. CTCRI will buy back his produce at the rate of ₹2,000 per quintal, helping him earn anywhere between ₹80,000 and ₹100,000. Moreover, as the vines had been provided by CTCRI for free, he invested only ₹10,000 as expenditure on labour.

“Thanks to the project, I learned regenerative practices to grow sweet potatoes that will help me earn a bumper yield,” says Jaypal. “I plan to buy some household assets with the increased income. I also want to spread knowledge among my fellow farmers regarding these practices.”

WELCOMING NEW COLLEAGUES

Arvind Patel, joined us on 01 October as a Field Supervisor at Palanpur, Gujarat. He comes with more than nineteen years of experience. He has completed his MSW from Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat. He was previously working with Naisargik Trust as Programme Coordinator. He has work experience in the areas of organic farming cultivation, field operations, farm demonstration and farm training, monitoring and evaluation of field data, liaising with government functionaries and program implementation.

Sachin Sakalle, joined us on 07 October as the Senior Programme Manager, responsible for managing SREC’s projects in the state of Gujarat. Sachin comes with 20+ years of experience in the areas of sustainable agriculture, community sustainability, livelihood diversification, women empowerment, CSR initiatives, stakeholder engagement, M&E, and project management. He has worked in Tanager International and Transform Rural India Foundation and worked on various crops like groundnut in Gujarat and cereals, flowers, pulses in MP. During his employment, Sachin has extensively worked on institution building, encouraging farmers to join government institutions (such as Primary Agriculture Cooperatives, Societies and Farmers Club) and producer institutions (like Farmer Producer Companies). At TRIF, he was working with around 35000 small and marginal farmers on the sustainable supply chain. He is a Doctorate in Agriculture (Agronomy) from Rabindranath Tagore University (2020-2024) and M.Sc. Agriculture, from Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (Specialization in Agronomy).

Poulami Datta
Senior Manager- Programme Innovation and Development

Purnima Patel
Field Coordinator-Panipat

G Shajahan
Programme Officer-Vaniyambadi, Tamil Nadu