“I don’t sell a commodity in Zameen, I sell a concept. How can I, I as 6,000 farmers, bring value to a product?” -Satish Chukkapalli, Zameen Director
The organic cotton movement in India is not just about organic cotton, it’s about water and energy savings, women’s empowerment, soil nutrition, and farmer health. Zameen Organics is a farmer-owned company trading cotton through a simple ethical supply chain rather than in a tangled knot of middlemen.
- Pesticide Free Health Impact: India is home to 1/3 of the world’s cotton farmers, their crops accounting for 54% of the country’s annual pesticide consumption despite growing on only 5% of its arable land. The effects of pesticide exposure include weakness, cramps, unconsciousness, convulsions, and potentially death. Zameen Organics supports pesticide free cotton farmers, supporting their health and their families.
- Economic Development: Schemes by the Government of India and international chemical fertilizer companies have caused farmers to become trapped in the debt cycle. Every year 120,000 farmers commit suicide deaths in India. Zameen seeks to build a fair trade organic movement to rid farmers of this debt trap.
- Female Empowerment: In addition to the manual labor by women, women must provide domestic duties. They do not have the ability to own property, leading to a harder life in accessing credit, labor, and subsidized inputs. Zameen support women cotton farmers, improving their access to fair wages and domestic needs.
As a business school student, I was inspired by this example for a new innovative business plan in Indian agriculture. Whether geared towards reducing crop waste, building a value chain, or selling a fair trade organic brand, this study tour has helped me see the opportunities to start agriculture-related companies that are economically, environmentally, and socially viable.
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