Empowered individuals bring changes to the family, whereas empowered communities collectively bring changes to society. A couple of years ago, many government department officials might not have known about a village called Vedchha, in Dediapada block of the Narmada district in south Gujarat.

The village, which is home to the Vasava tribal community, is one of the Caritas India Sanjivani programme villages run by the Baroda Diocesan Social Service Society. Sanjivani was launched to ensure food and nutrition security for small, marginal, and landless farmers. The programme also works to promote food crop diversification and maximisation, as well as the realisation of rights and entitlements.

The diocesan social service society partner, in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra Dediapada and members of the village’s Village Nutrition Committee, began the process of registering a Farmers Producer’s Organisation in 2021, but the process was delayed due to the covid -19 pandemic.Finally, the dream of having their own microeconomic entity, i.e., the Farmers Producers Organisation (the Dediapada Vibhag Adivasi Khedut Vividhlakshi Seva Sahkari Mandli), became a reality in 2022. The FPO has provided collectivization, decision making, and financial autonomy to its members to enhance their income, food and nutrition security, and quality of life. At present, the FPO has 350 members, including 205 men and 51 women farmers. The members are from five villages in the Sanjivani programme and pay Rs. 251 as a membership fee for the FPO.

KVK Dediapada DSSS-Baroda and FPO- The Dediapada Vibhag Adivasi Khedut Vividhlakshi celebrated “Forest Day, International Water Day, and International Year of Millet. SEVA SAHKARI MANDLI co-organized the event on March 21, 2023, in the project village Vedchha, which was attended by approximately 700 project participants, including Village Nutrition Committee members and Women Lead Farmers from Sanjivani project villages.Eminent dignitaries present for the event included: Mr. Motilal Vasav, former minister of Forest and Environment- Govt. of Gujarat, Dr. PD Verma, Director KVK-Dediapada, Dr. Davla, Minor Millet lead researcher, Dr. Patil, Minor Millet expert, Dr. Smit, Fishery Extension officer, Kamdhenu University, Dr. Minaxi Tiwari, nutritionist at KVK Dediapada, Dr. Poshiya, Director Women Farmers Training Center-KVK Dediapada, Dr. Chairman Irrigation Committee- Narmada district Dr. Dharmesh, Extension officer Animal husbandry and Mr. Sarvaiya-ATMA.
During the event exhibition, farmers displayed over 40 varieties of traditional food crops and vegetable seeds.Women also competed in the traditional food cooking competition, preparing traditional dishes that were served to all dignitaries.The winners were felicitated with prizes.

All main speakers, including Mr. Motilal Vasava, Dr. PD Verma, Dr. Smit, Dr. Davla, and Dr. Patil, emphasised the promotion of millet cultivation, traditional food crops, and the use of natural manure for cultivation. Dr. PD Verma praised the various interventions carried out in the project villages by women farmers as part of the Sanjivani project.He also appreciated it and said “I am happy to see varieties of traditional foods and vegetable seeds displayed in the exhibition”.

The event has now attracted more farmers to join the FPO, which would strengthen the FPO to carry out agribusiness and escape from profit-making middlemen for the agricultural produce. The FPO will conduct a general body meeting in the coming days to pass new resolutions to accept new members and expand membership. The FPO will receive Rs. 25,00,000/- from the concerned government department to meet administration expenses for the coming five years.