URVARASA (“Procuring Fertile Land” in Sanskrit)

Urvarasa is a project that seeks to partner with farmers who agree to uphold a set of guidelines established by Jeeva Bhavana (see below) to grow their crops and link themselves to conscious consumers seeking fair-trade of sustainably-grown, exploitation-free, healthy food.

• By fair-priced, we mean that farmers are duly compensated for their know-how and labour. We mentor, support and empower them to ensure their economic autonomy. They are connected with conscious consumers directly through established channels to ensure they get a fair price for their produce through optimal logistics.

• By sustainably grown, we mean that armers take their role as guardians of seeds and soil health seriously by using neither chemical inputs nor any other inputs coming from outside their farm while using minimum to no heavy machinery. Crops must be adapted to the soil and climate of each farm, and low water-intensive crops are privileged.

• By animal-friendly, we mean that no animal living on the farm is ever bred, exploited, or sent to slaughter but instead live out their lives alongside their human caretakers who ensure that their basic, species-specific needs are satisfied. Natural farming techniques often include cow manure and urine as fertilizers; there is nothing amiss in making use of animal waste to maintain soil fertility as long as no animal is exploited. However, farmers who have animals of their farm are encouraged to set aside a small portion of their land for stock-free practices, and to increase that area annually in order to free their land from domesticated animal inputs for optimal soil fertility.

• And by healthy food, we mean that while cultivating vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits is best for our environment, consuming whole plant-based food is ideal for human health. We make sure that not just the consumer, but also Urvarasa farmers and their families enjoy healthy, nutritional food by encouraging a plant-based diet.

Transparency is the foundation of trust. To that end, Jeeva Bhavana will ensure that those farmers who adhere to the Urvarasa charter and sell their produce under the Urvarasa label, firmly comply with the guidelines. For each farmer interested in joining our ranks, there will be an in-depth interview and an initial review of the farm and farming practices. Every so often a team member will visit the farms, not to police the farmers, but to ensure that the farmer continues to respect the guidelines and seek out inadvertent errors or oversights. Honest mistakes are bound to happen but will be reduced to a minimum as farmers learn the value of the conscious, nurturing and holistic approach embodied in the charter. However, any farmer who deliberately disregards the charter will no longer be able to sell their produce using the Urvarasa label.

In its initial period, Jeeva Bhavana intends to launch Urvarasa with a select group of farmers in a manageable area to ease the coordination with farmers and to work on establishing suitable and reliable distribution channels for their produce. Jeeva Bhavana can thus stay closely in touch with the farmers in the group and be able to troubleshoot the challenges that may arise during the project’s initiation. After the success of this first phase, we will expand to other regions of the country. The success stories from farmers in this first phase will certainly attract other farmers’ groups to adopt Urvarasa’s guidelines.

Concurrently, Jeeva Bhavana actively works with the public to inform them of the benefits of consuming products that are both healthy and ethically produced: products that are good for the growers, the consumers, the animals on farms, and the entire environment. Consumers of Urvarasa products appreciate that the price paid for healthier, more sustainable and more ethical food is their most important investment.

Jeeva Bhavana is an environmental non-profit. We aim for a world in which animals are no longer bred into existence for human purposes and where all animals can live free from exploitation, harm and death at human hands. However, we are completely aware that attaining that world requires a transition period. We recognise that for a plethora of reasons today, many Indian farmers rely on animals in their agricultural practices. Bovines are particularly used for bio-manure, for cow-dung/urine-based pest-control and also for traction.

While Jeeva Bhavana advocates for no-tilling techniques, we understand that farmers who currently rely on bullocks to labour their fields cannot stop this practice overnight. Most old-school farmers display great and care towards their animal and their mutual bonds are often palpable. Driving bullocks out of the system is no solution, as the animals would likely go to slaughter straight away. Replacing animal traction with heavy tractors is also harmful to the soil and the environment, and requires unaffordable bank loans and interest payouts. These are larger evils and Jeeva Bhavana stands firmly against them.

In India today, cows and bullocks are an integral part of natural farming practices. As such, we must ensure a healthy, safe and non-exploitative relationship between the animals on the farm and the farmer. Any farmer who commits to not interfering with the animals’ natural functions and needs, and treats the animals with the respect that is due to all individuals of any species, becomes an eligible candidate for using the Urvarasa label.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the guidelines for farmers:

✔ Farmers will understand their role as caretakers of the animals currently living on their farm and treat them with respect. This means:

1. The animals, though domesticated, will never be bred.

2. If bullocks are used to labour the fields, they will work with healthy limits, to keep them active. The rest of the time, they will be left untied and have ample food, water and shelter at all times.

3. Cows present on the farm will never be milked. An initial exception lasting a short duration may be made for home consumption, but milking for commercial purposes will be stopped immediately.

4. Calves will never be separated from their mothers.

5. A single (or a minimal number of) cow or bullock is sufficient for tens of acres of land if the farmer is using dung and urine for fertiliser. There is no problem if more are present, as long as the previous guidelines are followed.

6. A farmer without animals on his farm will learn better composting techniques using the leaf litter and biomass available on the farm instead of procuring manure from outside sources.

✔ Farmers will understand their role as caretakers of the ecological balance on their farm and treat it with respect. This means:

1. Farmers will transition to low-till farming and aim towards no-till farming.

2. Farmers will forgo the use of chemical inputs, as well as inputs coming from outside their farm.

3. Farmers will replace water-intensive crops with crops that require low water usage.

4. Farmers will put into place rainwater harvesting systems when possible.

✔ Farmers will understand their role as caretakers of their own and their family’s nutritional health. This means:

1. Farmers will learn the basics about nutrition and the importance of good nutritional health for themselves and their families.

2. Farmers will dedicate one acre of their land to plant and grow a food forest, ensuring the perennial availability of seasonal fruits for their household. 

3. Farmers will dedicate a portion of their land (minimum 2000 sq ft) toward cultivating a home/kitchen garden with a diversity of nutritional crops for their household.

Jeeva Bhavana, together with Punarbharan Foundation and other partner organisations overseeing Urvarasa, will be responsible for putting in place market and consumer channels for Urvarasa farmers. To that end, we will educate and inform consumers about the importance of:

1. Supporting natural and ethical farmers.

2. Consuming foods that are healthy and nutritious, grown with the greatest attention given to environmental sustainability.

3. Striving towards a waste-free lifestyle.

4. Participating directly in farmers’ well-being and positively impacting agricultural communities.

Aside from regular onsite monitoring Jeeva Bhavana and partners will organise and/or oversee various programmes for the betterment of farmers’ health, finances, practices, and such:

✔ Online Workshops:

1. Financial Management

2. Health Talks

✔ Onsite Workshops:

1. Training on good soil, water and crop practices

2. Crop resource management: green manure, biochar, green manure crop covers, no-till farming, plant-based alternatives for disease control, etc.

We plan to also create personalised farm-specific calendars for farming activities on individual farms, and find channels of distribution and marketing for farm produce and other value-added products derived therefrom. We also aim to organise farm visits to encourage direct relationships between consumers and farmers, creating a direct link between what we eat, and how it is grown and rekindling the invaluable annadata bond.

Finally, we aim to document each step of the process so that the Urvarasa model can be replicated in other farming groups in Maharashtra and subsequently across the country.