B a s ic R ig h t s f o r R u r a l F a r m e r s

in R a ja s t h a n , In d ia

A u g u s t , 2 0 11

“ A n d i t i s o n ly in t h a t b r o a d e r f r a m e w o r k o f s u s t a in a b le d e v e lo p m e n t t h a t w e c a n a d d r e s s c l im a t e c h a n g e , in t e r n a t io n a l p e a c e a n d s e c u r i t y a n d t h e n e e d s o f a l l o u r c i t iz e n s . ”

- UN S e c r e t a r y Ge n e r a l B a n K i-mo o n , J u n e 2 0 1 1

In his recent speech to the W o r ld T r a d e O r g a n iz a t io n , UN Secretary-General, B a n K i-m o o n , declared s u s t a in a b i l i t y as a t o p p r io r i t y .Of note were Ban’s formal remarks on l i f t in g p e o p le o u t o f p o v e r t y while m in im iz in g h a r m t o n a t u r e .

With more than 15 y e a r s working at the g r a s s r o o t s level to advance sustainable development, FSD in t im a t e ly u n d e r s t a n d s the h a v o c that climate change wreaks on the w o r ld ’ s m o s t v u ln e r a b le populations.

But y o u have helped c h a n g e this reality for h u n d r e d s o f p e o p le .

Here is just o n e example.

In R a ja s t h a n , In d ia , o v e r 7 5 % o f t h e w o r k f o r c e e a r n a l iv in g t h r o u g h a g r ic u l t u r e . E n v ir o n m e n t a l d e g r a d a t io n h a s c a u s e d m a s s m ig r a t io n , s e a s o n a l d r o u g h t , a n d s e v e r e f o o d s h o r t a g e s .

V u ln e r a b le f a r m e r s — m a n y o f w h o m a r e u n e d u c a t e d a n d i l l i t e r a t e — a r e o f t e n e x p lo i t e d b y s u p p l ie r s w h o i l le g a l ly in f la t e p r ic e s f o r a g r ic u l t u r a l e s s e n t ia l s l ik e f e r t i l i z e r a n d s e e d s .

B u y e r s o f t h e f a m e r s ’ p r o d u c t s a ls o t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e m b y o f f e r in g b e lo w m a r k e t p r ic e s f o r t h e ir c r o p s .

In r e s p o n s e , F S D c o l la b o r a t e d w it h o u r lo c a l p a r t n e r N G O , A C C E S S D e v e lo p m e n t S e r v ic e s , t o o r g a n iz e d is e n f r a n c h is e d f a r m e r s a n d d e v e lo p a m o r e m a n a g e a b le a n d e q u i t a b le s y s t e m .

T h e f a r m e r s f o r m e d in t o g r o u p s a n d w e n t t h r o u g h a s e r ie s o f t r a in in g s f o c u s e d o n s m a l l b u s in e s s d e v e lo p m e n t , a d m in is t r a t io n , a n d f in a n c ia l l i t e r a c y .

In t h e p r o je c t ’ s f in a l p h a s e , e a c h g r o u p t r a n s f e r r e d t h e ir n e w k n o w le d g e t o t h e f a r m e r s t h e y r e p r e s e n t .

In i t ia l e v a lu a t io n s u r v e y s s h o w t h a t p r ic e s h a v e a lr e a d y im p r o v e d f o r b o t h a g r ic u l t u r a l s u p p l ie s a n d c r o p y ie ld s . A d d it io n a l b e n e f i t s h a v e in c lu d e d a c c e s s t o c r e d i t , s a v in g s g r o u p s , a n d t e c h n ic a l t r a in in g in s u s t a in a b le a g r ic u l t u r a l t e c h n iq u e s .

T o d a y , w e a r e s e e in g a m o r e e m p o w e r e d m e m b e r b a s e m o v in g t o w a r d s t o t a l s e l f -s u f f ic ie n c y a n d im p r o v in g t h e h e a l t h o f t h e ir la n d , p r e p a r in g f a r m in g c o m m u n it ie s t o r e a c t in t h e f a c e o f n a t u r a l d is a s t e r s a n d c l im a t e c h a n g e .

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