Gram Disha Trust
Creating Sustainable Value for Smallholders in India and Himalayan Ecosystems
- Bronze Certified 2023
- 12A
About
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Headquarters
New Delhi, Delhi
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Since
2019
Gram Disha Trust is a registered Charitable trust created to assist the cause of agroecology and smallholders across India. The Trust was officiated Read more in November 2019, but founding trustees who have been working in the field of Sustainable Agriculture and Smallholder Producer welfare for over a decade. The vision of our trust is for Creating Sustainable Value for Smallholders in India and Himalayan Ecosystems. As part of its initiatives in Himachal Pradesh, the trust assist the farmers of Gram Disha Jaivik SHG – a collective of smallholders in Village Baag, VPO and Sub-Tehsil Pangna, District Mandi. Gram Disha Trust is also a Sustainable Agricultural Systems (Partner) to the ACROPICS International Consoritum (between 2024-2027). As part of this initiative it shall provide a push-pull mechanism for Innovations for Agrifood Systems Transformation in Himachal Pradesh.
Issue
To promote activities allied with sustainable agriculture (such as biomass management, water management, non-timber forest produce, animal husbandry, agri-equipment, seed banks etc) and indigenous peoples (such as their livelihoods, arts,crafts, transhumance and pastoralism). Our organization is a charitable public entity dedicated to promoting agroecology, craft, and culture, primarily in the Himalayan region. We strive to build sustainable food systems by focusing on marketing and comprehensive supply chains, supporting farmers, especially women and geriatric farmers, in organic agriculture and agri-management.
Action
Gram Disha Trust does capacity building programs for transforming AgriFood Systems. As part of its initiatives in Himachal Pradesh, the trust supports the farmers of Gram Disha Jaivik SHG. This group comprises smallholders in Village Baag, VPO, and Sub-Tehsil Pangna, located in District Mandi. The farmers are organized under institutions (SHG and FPC) which promotes agroecological practices in and around Pangna, Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. The trust also undertaken programs on Craft, Ecological Building and construction system, Ecological Internship and trainings. Gram Disha Trust also runs JaivikHaat Pvt Ltd in Delhi - which works to connect natural/organic farmers to the markets.
Demographies Served
Cause Area
Impact
Since our formation we have participated in advoacy events across India and Globally to represent the case of Smallholder farmers in India. As part of our initiative, we also mentor urban youth to develop a sence of belonging and relatability to Rural Areas of India. In the last 5 years we have conducted programs impacting 100 farmers directly and 5000 farmers indirectly. We have also mentored and promoted Farmer Producer Companies to establish itself with local markets. About 10 youth from Himachal Pradesh and other countries are mentored by our Trust to collaborate on programs on Local, National and Global levels.
Programs
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Gram Disha Self Help Group (SHG)
Gram Disha Self Help Group (SHG) is a cooperative of small-scale mountain farmers, nurtured and guided by Gram Disha Trust. The SHG oversees the management of the "Gram Bhawan" farmers' center and the Model Farm. This serves as a hub for experimentation, contemplation, and practical application of sustainable agriculture techniques. The core essence driving the SHG's activities is encapsulated in a singular notion: a commitment to pure thought.
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Lauhaar Shaastra - Blacksmith Scripture Project
https://gramdisha.org/blog/
On June 1, 2024, these seven interns began their experiential learning journey about the Lauhaars (Blacksmith) community of Pangna.
This internship, conducted by Gram Disha Trust, was divided into two parts: an online component and an offline component. The offline part involved a carefully designed field research period to provide hands-on exposure to the community interactions of Pangna, specifically focusing on the Lauhaars and their associated communities. The offline part was decided in collaboration with the Lauhaars and Farmers of Pangna Valley.
The goal of this internship is to produce a comprehensive document called “Śāstra/Shaastra” that details the craft traditions of the Lauhaar community, their socioeconomic conditions, environment, cultural beliefs, and some of their histories.
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Organic Certification Training
https://gramdisha.org/organic-cert-training/
I am Dr. Nitika Negi, Ph.D. in Entomology (Agriculture) hailing from Himachal Pradesh. In this blog post, I am excited to share with you my enriching experience and insights gained from two-month training program at LACON Quality Certification in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India, which covered a spectrum of topics including National and International Organic standards as well as procedures for inspection and certification.
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GLACIAL FLOUR POWER
https://gramdisha.org/glacial-flour-power/
In 2020 Gram Disha Trust undetook a short collboration with the Cabot Institute (University of Bristol) on the usage and efficacy of Glacial soil flows for agriculture.
This research followed a lecture visit by our founding Trustee Ashish Gupta-jee, to Bristol for discussions on topic “Bioavailability of minerals and nutrition of glacial flows on riparian agriculture systems of Sub-Himalayan region – Possibilities and Socio-cultural Impact” in 2018. Continued enagement with Cabot Institute and Gram Disha Trust was undertaken towards developing a mechanism for collabortive consideration on this subject.
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Karsog Natural Farmer Producer Company (KNFPC)
Grant Making for KNFPC farmers - to open three sub-outlet and collection centers for Collection of Natural Farming produce for market linkage.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/guptaji_iym2023-gramdishatrust-foodsystems-activity-7203726794103873536-XhqB/
Impact Metrics
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100 Farmers
Program Name
Grant Making for Karsog Natural Farmer Producer Company (KNFPC) Himachal Pradesh
Year-wise Metrics- 2023-24 100
Leadership Team
Demographics & Structure
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No. of Employees
0-5
M&E
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Internal, External Assessors
No
Policies
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Ethics and Transparency Policies
No
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Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy
No
Political & Religious Declarations
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On Affiliation if any
No
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On Deployment Bias if any
No
Registration Details
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PAN Card
AADTG2251N
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Registration ID
IN-DL01909393065537Q
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VO ID / Darpan ID
DL/2019/0244012
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12A
AADTG2251NE20214
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FCRA
Not Available
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CSR Registration Number
Not Available
Location
Other Details
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Sister Organisation
JAIVIKHAAT PRIVATE LIMITED
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Type & Sub Type
Non-profit
Trust