Volunteer on a farm in Mandya & be part of a ‘sweat donation’ drive
Empowering marginal farmers, making the district’s farms chemical-free by 2020 and launching volunteer programs top Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah’s agenda
27 APRIL, 2016: The EPGP Seminar Series 2016-17 at IIM Bangalore kicked off on Wednesday (April 27) with a talk by Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah, President, Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society. The talk, organized by the EPGP Seminar Committee, was on ‘Organic Farming Industry and Genesis of Organic Mandya’.
Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah is also one of the core team members of Organic Mandya which, in partnership with Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society, serves its members through promotion of organic systems in agriculture and the favourable marketing of organic products. Organic Mandya was founded in 2015 and comprises farmers, ayurveda doctors and agriculture university scientists as members.
Talking about the “respect” he has for agriculture and the “desire” to give something back to his home town, Madhu Chandan said he willingly traded a life in the US for work in Mandya. “Farmers in Mandya are grappling with debt. Seeing their parents struggle, youngsters choose menial jobs in nearby towns over farming.”
Motivated to make a change, Madhu Chandan began practising and propagating organic farming and thus Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society was formed, followed by Organic Mandya. He wanted a market located close to the producers, and opened an organic supermarket in Mandya town. “We achieved a high volume of sales without any spend on marketing. Thus, through Organic Mandya, we gave farmers the best prices,” he explained.
Farmers in Mandya are being trained in sustainable agriculture practices, which makes Madhu Chandan hope that by Year 2020, Mandya’s farms will be chemical-free.
Urging managers in the one-year fulltime residential Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) to use data and opportunity to make a difference, he outlined his organization’s programmes and volunteer outreach. “You can volunteer to work at a farm – just specify the date and the number of hours you can spend and Organic Mandya will find a farmer in need of your services.” (Go to www.organicmandya.com/sweat-donation-sub/)
Pointing out that Organic Mandya had created a 2.5-acre organic farm purely through volunteer effort, he said: “People soon learn how difficult it is to grow food, and are introduced to the challenges that a farmer faces.”
Volunteer on a farm in Mandya & be part of a ‘sweat donation’ drive
Empowering marginal farmers, making the district’s farms chemical-free by 2020 and launching volunteer programs top Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah’s agenda
27 APRIL, 2016: The EPGP Seminar Series 2016-17 at IIM Bangalore kicked off on Wednesday (April 27) with a talk by Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah, President, Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society. The talk, organized by the EPGP Seminar Committee, was on ‘Organic Farming Industry and Genesis of Organic Mandya’.
Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah is also one of the core team members of Organic Mandya which, in partnership with Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society, serves its members through promotion of organic systems in agriculture and the favourable marketing of organic products. Organic Mandya was founded in 2015 and comprises farmers, ayurveda doctors and agriculture university scientists as members.
Talking about the “respect” he has for agriculture and the “desire” to give something back to his home town, Madhu Chandan said he willingly traded a life in the US for work in Mandya. “Farmers in Mandya are grappling with debt. Seeing their parents struggle, youngsters choose menial jobs in nearby towns over farming.”
Motivated to make a change, Madhu Chandan began practising and propagating organic farming and thus Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society was formed, followed by Organic Mandya. He wanted a market located close to the producers, and opened an organic supermarket in Mandya town. “We achieved a high volume of sales without any spend on marketing. Thus, through Organic Mandya, we gave farmers the best prices,” he explained.
Farmers in Mandya are being trained in sustainable agriculture practices, which makes Madhu Chandan hope that by Year 2020, Mandya’s farms will be chemical-free.
Urging managers in the one-year fulltime residential Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) to use data and opportunity to make a difference, he outlined his organization’s programmes and volunteer outreach. “You can volunteer to work at a farm – just specify the date and the number of hours you can spend and Organic Mandya will find a farmer in need of your services.” (Go to www.organicmandya.com/sweat-donation-sub/)
Pointing out that Organic Mandya had created a 2.5-acre organic farm purely through volunteer effort, he said: “People soon learn how difficult it is to grow food, and are introduced to the challenges that a farmer faces.”