How bamboo cultivation has been used as an instrument of poverty alleviation and employment generation?

Participant: Satendrasingh Lilhare
Batch 17

Organisation: Bastar Se Bazaar Tak

Area of impact: Agriculture

Alignment with SDGs

1

No Poverty

8

Decent work and economic growth

9

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Brief description

The outcome of the project in rural North Bastar demonstrates the potential of bamboo cultivation as a tool for poverty alleviation and employment generation. Despite climatic challenges and limited awareness of soil nutrient management, farmers have achieved higher-than-expected productivity through recommended agronomic practices. However, heavy reliance on chemical inputs for plant protection raises environmental and health concerns, necessitating sustainable alternatives. Interventions like those by Bastar Se Bazaar Tak (BSBT), an enterprise specialising in the manufacturing, supply, and global export of an extensive range of natural and organic agricultural products sourced from remote parts of Chhattisgarh, have diversified agriculture practices, reducing monocropping risks and enhancing maize production. The study's relevance to the researcher's current work in the Kanker district underscores the importance of addressing rural development challenges, including geographical isolation and poverty, by making agricultural practices like bamboo cultivation more robust.