Village projects in India

Creation date: 21 March 2011

One of Cheminova’s latest CSR initiatives focuses on the quality of life for the citizens of a number of Indian villages where, in collaboration with local partners, we will show that good farming practices lead to an improved standard of living for the villagers.

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In India, more than 700 million people live in rural communities which are directly dependent on productive farming and successful harvests. As Cheminova's customers are farmers, our products contribute directly to increasing and improving crop yields, and we are thereby contributing to improving the living conditions for the local populations.

Our company in India has always gone to great lengths to promote the safe use of crop protection products. This poses many challenges, but our colleagues in India are making great strides in this area. Through contacts and meetings, they are encouraging more than 180,000 users to use the products correctly and to wear protective gear when spraying. This has helped to establish a good platform for Cheminova in relation to the farmers, and made it possible to further develop the CSR initiative.

Projects based on existing resources in local communities
We have decided to collaborate with the locals to demonstrate that modern, knowledge-based cultivation practices will contribute to increasing prosperity in the villages. However, we are not suggesting that Indian farmers do not understand plant growing, that villagers have not been to school or that expert agricultural advisers cannot be found in India. On the contrary, in many places farmers have the necessary resources and are willing to use them. Moreover, the Danish embassy in New Delhi has a CSR office which has shown a lot of interest in our activities, providing consultancy during the start-up phase.

Handing out tin plates and exercise books to schoolchildren.

Doing things in the right order
The projects kicked off in 2010 and are therefore at a very early stage, but we have been welcomed by local politicians, advisers and, in particular, the farmers, who have been very interested in participating in the work. They are clearly enthusiastic, as are our own employees in the Indian subsidiary. Establishing and developing good relations with the village inhabitants is crucial. The first step therefore has been to address some of their wishes, even though they are not always directly related to farming. The monsoon rains are necessary for crop cultivation. However, the high rainfall also causes flooding, which in turn leads to pollution of the drinking water. This means that, during the rainy season, children fall ill and are unable to attend school. We have therefore responded to the request for better water supplies by donating simple wastewater treatment systems to the village schools. In return, we have found that schoolteachers are interested in supporting the other project activities.

Several ways of growing rice
In West Bengal near Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) is a village where the project work is progressing well. Like other places in India, rice is the staple crop, so local farmers have been very keen to boost yields. One of the leading farmers has embraced the idea, and divided his paddy fields into two areas. In one he is growing rice according to traditional methods, while the other area is being treated according to agronomists' recommendations regarding fertilising and spraying. Even though it is not a scientifically conducted experiment, the farmer is very satisfied with the results, which show that agricultural science wins in relation to traditional cultivation methods.

Growing trial in paddy fields attracting considerable interest. The trial has resulted in markedly improved yields.		The project will improve vegetable yields.

Vegetable sales at market
The village supplies vegetables to a nearby market, which means that better yields of aubergines, melons etc. equate to benefits that go beyond having a little more rice on your plate. Vegetables and fruit sold at the market provide an income that can be transformed into goods and improved living standards in the village. Trials in the vegetable fields have started, and more information meetings are planned where improvements, among other things based on soil analyses, will be discussed with the farmers. Everything suggests that the new methods will be introduced in stages as early as the next growing season.

Cows also benefiting

The project obviously involves training in the safe use of crop protection products. However, many other activities are taking place which are designed to improve the situation. These might be anything from hygiene and health campaigns to straightforward tidying-up. In one of the villages a "vet day" was organised in collaboration with a local group, "Friends of the Cows". Here, focus was on the overall health of the cows as well as their milk production, and all the animals were vaccinated. The projects are being run in close collaboration with the village residents, who will gradually assume full responsibility for the activities.