Online agri marketplace Farmveda and ‘ayurvedic and natural healthcare company’ Dabur India were recognized at the 7th edition of the SABERA 2024 (Social and Business Enterprise Responsible Awards), held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, last week. The duo were recognized for their impactful work in the Krishi and Gramin (Agriculture and Rural Development) category.
Organized by Simply Suparnaa Media Network, SABERA honor organizations making significant contributions to sustainable development and social impact.
Farmveda’s Support for Rural Farmers
The Centre for Collective Development (Farmveda) was honored at SABERA 2024 for its efforts to assist rural farmers through sustainable agricultural practices. Farmveda’s initiatives are focused on improving the livelihoods of rural farmers by encouraging environmentally friendly farming methods and supporting community-based agriculture projects.
Despite the rapid transformation in Indian agriculture over the past two decades, small farmers, who make up 60% of rural households, continue to face numerous challenges. These farmers, with an average annual household income of just INR 20,000, are often trapped in deep debt, with debt ratios reaching up to 250%. They also contend with unreliable weather patterns, such as weak monsoons, droughts, and crop failures, further exacerbating their struggles.
Farmveda has developed a model aimed at overcoming these systemic issues by creating a cooperative-led ecosystem. This model helps farmers, irrespective of the crop they grow or their region, achieve better economic outcomes. Currently, Farmveda works with 43,710 farmers in 122 villages across five states, having established 542 farmer cooperatives. These cooperatives have empowered farmers by reducing costs, improving yields, ensuring fair prices for crops, stabilizing income against market fluctuations, and eliminating middlemen, ultimately providing seamless access to markets.
Dabur India’s Focus on Herbal and Sustainable Agriculture
Dabur India Ltd. was recognized for its “Herbal Kingdom” project, which emphasizes herbal and sustainable agricultural practices. The initiative promotes the use of organic farming techniques and focuses on enhancing the agricultural sector through sustainable and eco-friendly methods, contributing to the overall development of rural agriculture.
As part of its Environmental Sustainability strategy, Dabur is working to prevent the loss of biodiversity through programs aimed at preserving endangered medicinal plants. The company collaborates with local NGOs to provide training for farmers, villagers, and tribal communities on sustainable farming practices. Additionally, Dabur has established advanced greenhouses in Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Banepa (Nepal), along with 26 satellite nurseries and demo sites. These facilities supply free elite planting materials to farmers, enabling large-scale cultivation of standardized medicinal plants.
Also read: World Bank Approves $325M Project to Support 1M Farmers in Uttar Pradesh
Dabur’s efforts have benefited over 8,975 farmers across India, engaged 3,159 households in Nepal, and cultivated medicinal plants on over 5,247 acres in India and 692 acres in Nepal, creating visible economic opportunities for marginal farmers while conserving natural resources.
Other SABERA 2024 Awardees
The event recognized several other outstanding initiatives across various categories:
- Paryavaran (Environment): Karma Moksha Nirvana Foundation for RagBag (eco-friendly products); Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited for the CBG Plant at Pathmeda; and SBI Foundation for CONSERW (environmental conservation).
- Shiksha (Education): Udayan Care for the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program (empowering young women through education); Transform Schools, People For Action for Transform Learning (enhancing learning outcomes); and AJSA India for Bridge School cum CLDC’s (bridging learning gaps in underserved communities).
- Sashaktikaran (Empowerment): SBI Foundation for its Centre of Excellence for PwDs (empowering persons with disabilities) and My Angels Academy (empowering marginalized children).
- Swasthya (Health): The Hans Foundation for Health on Wheels (delivering healthcare to remote communities); Sachin Sarcoma Society for Sahayak Setu (supporting sarcoma patients); and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited for Project Dil without Bill (providing healthcare to the underprivileged).
Recognizing Innovative Contributions and Responsible Business
SABERA 2024 also recognized innovation and responsibility across industries:
- Most Innovative: Vaidic Srijan LLP for Cownomics Technology (sustainable agricultural solutions); Foundation For Excellence India Trust for FFE Scholarship & Beyond Scholarship Program (supporting students with scholarships); and Good Earth Eco Futures Pvt. Ltd. for Saarang (eco-friendly development).
- Social Enterprise: Rangeet for innovative education models.
- Social Leaders of the Year: Vishal Kumar from Waste Warriors Society and Amit Bhatia from Aspire Impact.
- Change Makers: Deepa Mahajan for addressing child labor through Sahyog Care for You; Dr. Manish Jain for empowering the trans community through Kineer; and Gayathri Vasudevan for skilling through Sambhav Foundation.
- Promising Responsible Business: Stonesoup and Recykal for creating marketplaces for recycling and zero waste living.
- Emerging Think Tanks: Nikore Associates for work on the invisible female labor force.
- Responsible Business of the Year: Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Zydus Life Sciences.
- Responsible Business Leader of the Year: Nitin Paranjape of HUL.
- Lifetime Achievement: Meenakshi Nayar of ETASHA Society for her work in skilling youth and women.
Not for Profit and Promising Responsible Business Leaders
Other awardees included:
- Not For Profit of the Year: BansiVidya Memorial Trust (rapid financial support to leukemia patients); Cancer Awareness and Early Detection Trust (CAPED) for efforts to eliminate cervical cancer; and Wadhwani Foundation for driving impact in entrepreneurship and skill development.
- Promising Responsible Business Leaders of the Year: Aayush S from Ecohoy (sustainable products) and Tanya Singhal from SolaArise & Mynzo Carbon (personalized carbon neutrality solutions).
Check out the entire list of awardees here.