Empowering Women Farmers in India

In 2020, working with the Louis Dreyfus Foundation, LDC embarked on a two-year program to enhance the food security and cash incomes of women smallholder farmers in India. The project focuses on the Tonk district in the semi-arid eastern plains of Rajasthan, a farming region with low productivity, limited rainfall and a high incidence of poverty.

In 2021, 3,717 women farmers received training on planting methods including pre-sowing, post-sowing, pest management and organic farming. Of this group, 322 were supported in the development of vegetable production (including vertical planting methods) thanks to the establishment of two high-tech nurseries to supply healthy vegetable seedlings to participating farmers.

Phase 2 of the project starts in 2022 and will target 2,000 new and 4,000 existing farmers across almost 100 villages, who will receive crops and natural farming production training, to establish vegetable gardens and improve livestock production. The project will also scale up commercial vegetable production, fruit orchards, water-harvesting ponds and drip irrigation.

Key Numbers

3,717 = farmers trained

603 = farmers adopted natural farming practices

35 = farmers diversified production and income with fruit orchards (lemon & guava)

322 = farmers diversified production and income with vegetables

18.5% = increase in farm income

Productivity Increase vs. Baseline

+28% black gram

+25% pearl millet

+58% mustard

+57% wheat