Enhancement of Smallholder Spice Farmers’ Capacities in Sustainable Farming

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ, India

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

GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is implementing “Enhancement of Smallholder Spice Farmer’s Capacities in Sustainable Farming” under the develoPPP.de program. GIZ, McCormick and AVT McCormick are jointly implementing this project in Six states in India, viz. Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan covering 5 spices; Cardamom, Turmeric, Cumin, Dill seeds and Celery.

The project aims to enhance the sustainable production of cardamom, cumin, dill seeds, celery, and turmeric in these regions, with the goal of increasing the capacities of spice farmers and making production practices more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. Ecociate developed a training of trainers’ module and provided training to identified master trainers to build their capacity around sustainable and organic major spice production, focusing on turmeric, cardamom, and cumin. The training module covered comprehensive production practices related to organic and sustainable farming of these spices. This module serves as a great resource for master trainers to disseminate the knowledge and learnings to farmers for sustainable and organic spice production.

Objectives

The primary objective of this assignment is to take forward the agenda of sustainable/organic spice cultivation effectively and efficiently, leveraging the assistance of local youths and women. Additionally, the aim is to enhance the capacity and skills of small-scale farmers in the organic and sustainable cultivation of spices, including cardamom, cumin, and turmeric.

Approach and Methodology

The training module is designed to facilitate participatory training, emphasizing the sharing of knowledge and experiences between trainees and trainers. Various training methods, including group discussions, lectures, method demonstrations, and field visits, are employed to achieve this goal.

The training module encompasses different sessions that cover sustainable and organic farming practices for pre-production, production, and post-harvest management of the selected spice crop. Each session within the module defines specific learning objectives and outcomes.

Moreover, the module includes exercises related to crop production practices, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of sustainable and organic farming for spice cultivation. This knowledge benefits not only the trainees but also the broader farming community.

Results

The training modules, designed within the module, covered a comprehensive set of sustainable and organic crop-specific package of practices. These modules included illustrations and frameworks to enhance farmers’ comprehension. The formulated training module enabled an in-depth understanding of pre-production, production, and post-harvest management activities within the training program, incorporating prescribed training methods, frameworks, and content.