'GramSe Agritech, the parent company of HoYi has been working with women groups like Mahila Umang Producer Company to upscale the livelihoods. This article is the crux of why and what goes behind the revolution!'
In the pristine landscapes of Uttarakhand🏔 , organic agriculture with rich crop diversity has been a way of life for generations. In this backdrop, women were traditionally engaged in essential but less recognized roles, such as animal husbandry and gathering firewood. The intricate technical aspects of agriculture were predominantly managed by men, who were often the decision-makers in farming households.
However, over the past few decades, as the needs and aspirations of the locals expanded, men started migrating to urban areas in search of better opportunities. While this migration had its challenges, it paved the way for an unexpected transformation – the complete feminization of agriculture. As the men left their ancestral farmlands behind, women stepped into roles previously dominated by their male counterparts.
As migration created its own challenges, there were also silver linings behind it. The influx of remittances provided direct supplementary incomes to the women in their families. In many villages, Women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have also taken up value-added activities, such as processing and preserving perishable commodities. Non farm livelihoods like Knitting and Weaving have also grown with the support social enterprises like GramSe.
However, for these enterprising women, the journey is far from over. Agriculture is still way too short of its capacity due to the marketing bottlenecks. An increase in consumer demand for local products can be the next game-changer for these enterprising women and their mountain communities.