Way back in 1994, Morarka Foundation entered into a contract
with the State Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan,
to take up an experiment for the privatization of agriculture
extension services, supported by World Bank.
The participatory planning process, involving over 10000 farm
families, identified reduction in the cost of cultivation as the
core issue for interventions in the Nawalgarh block of Jhunjhunu
district, a semi-arid region in India.
In its efforts to find solutions, it innovated on-farm fertility
management practices based on vermiculture technology. Development
and dissemination of this know-how to over 1,00,000 farmers in 3
years caused it to become the single largest producer of vermi-cast
in the world. This technology was awarded for excellence in
technology innovation by the Ministry of Science and Technology,
Government of India in the year 2001 and 2002.
Introduction of on-farm fertility management practices led to
compliance with organic standards and thus the Foundation started
organizing farmers to take up one of the largest organic
agriculture development programmes in India.
Over the years, The Morarka Foundation has also evolved a
pro-biotic approach to pest management.
Since organic cultivation was intrinsically linked to
certification, the Foundation innovated IT based group
certification norms, in compliance with world organic
standards.
While on one hand, the Morarka Foundation promoted small
entrepreneurial initiatives in organic agri-businesses, it also
facilitated linkages between organic producers and traders. In the
year 2006-07 it set up its marketing arm, Morarka Organic Foods
Pvt. Ltd., to facilitate direct linkage between the consumer and
producers.
Moraka Organics