Supporting farmers to move to become more organic
This is the first year that households in this hamlet of 30 families have taken up organic cotton farming. After receiving training from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) on organic farming methods for cotton and sowing the organic cotton seeds, they have been using natural fertilizers and pesticides they have learnt how to make using locally available natural products such as leaves, herbs, cow urine and molasses.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
In April 2015 the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) started an organic cotton project in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh with the support of the C&A Foundation.
Nimar, in the south west of the state, is a dry and hilly traditional cotton-growing area with a significant tribal population. The project aims to improve the livelihoods and incomes of 7,000 tribal farmers living there through the promotion of organic cotton cultivation.