Scoping Study in Dhar and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh

Syngenta Foundation, Madhya Pradesh, India

Project Under Domains: Nature-based Solutions; Sub Domains: Sustainable production systems

SFI launched its flagship Agri-Entrepreneur (AE) Program in 2014. The Program was implemented for Agri-Entrepreneur (AEs) to strengthen economic outcomes of women groups and community collectives in India. To create transformational impact at scale, SFI created an Agri Entrepreneur Growth Foundation (AEGF) in collaboration with Tata Trusts as an independent, not-for-profit organization in 2019. AEGF aims at developing 100,000 AEs in the coming five years to ultimately achieve the goal of serving 20 million smallholders. To identify the potential enterprise opportunities for the women AEs and measure the values of baseline indicators, Syngenta foundation commissioned a scoping study to Ecociate Consultants. The study was conducted in Dhar and Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Objectives

The primary aim of this study was to undertake a scoping assessment to gauge the awareness levels among farming households regarding regenerative agricultural practices, assess their inclination to embrace these practices, and understand the underlying motivations. Additionally, the study sought to ascertain the present status of income derived from agricultural and allied activities, along with the prevailing agricultural practices employed by farmers in the context of crop production.

Approach and Methodology

To conduct the assignment, a mixed-method approach was undertaken. Under the mixed method approach, a fusion of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies was applied to understand the ecosystem in which the project beneficiaries operate and measure the tangible factors which the project intends to influence and impact.

For the quantitative study, respondents were interviewed following a stratified random sampling methodology. We surveyed a total of 400 farmers from households (HHs), with 250 from the Dhar and 150 from the Jhabua. With ensuring validity and reliability, we developed a comprehensive structured questionnaire for collecting data at the HH level.

The qualitative field study engaged a diverse group of stakeholders, including the smallholder farmers, farmer organizations, the SFI project implementation team, extension agencies such as KVK, and local market players to understand the ecosystem, opportunities for AEs, constrains and way forward.

Results

The study meticulously recorded the distinct contributions of female family members to household income, highlighting that agriculture and various forms of casual labor were the predominant sources of income for the women in the households surveyed. Furthermore, the study helped Syngenta Foundation in gaining insights into the barriers, opportunities and motivations for promoting regenerative agriculture practices and identify opportunities for Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) within the project’s geographical scope.