Empowering WOMEN : “IT’S ALL JUST BECAUSE I CONVERTED TO ORGANIC CULTIVATION METHODS” : SAVITA’S SUCCESS STORY

Success across the board: Savita’s patience, persistence and her belief in organic farming were the foundations of her rise from humble farmer to highly regarded expert.

Savita Jiwan Yelane, a 38-year-old woman from Khanapur village, owns 2.4 hectares of land. Her income has to stretch to feed four adults and two children. Four cows are also part of the household and help Savita with their substantial driving force and valuable manure.

Like most other farmers Savita previously cultivated her fields using conventional methods – with plenty of fertilisers and pesticides. This had consequences: the soil on her fields was drained of nutrients and cultivation costs made an increasingly bigger hole in the household budget. 

Loan for loan – a vicious circle

“The costs for fertiliser rose every year yet the harvest kept declining. I was left with no choice – if I didn’t constantly use more chemicals, I risked losing my entire harvest.” This “solution” only plunged the impoverished farmer into more difficulties. Savita took out a loan – and another, and another, until she found herself in serious debt. “It’s a vicious circle. The first loan can only be paid back if the harvest and product sales are successful. But meanwhile, cultivation costs are so high that there is nothing left after they are deducted. So another loan is needed for the next sowing season.”

Stopping the downwards spiral

These days, Savita has a confident smile on her face. Her participation in SWISSAID’s “Climate change project” and the renowned Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) heralded the change she longed for: “Thanks to organic farming methods, my cultivation costs were reduced, the soil’s fertility on my farm has improved and my income has increased.”

Her decision was not difficult, as the income situation had become so hopeless. It also helped that her husband supported this step. Savita began to attend advanced training courses at the CSA.