#APYF2016 Abhinandan Dhakal, India

I am the Founder of Shoten Group, an organic food processing start - up based out of Sikkim, India, Himalayas.

Lord Ganesha, the lord of wisdom & remover of obstacles is known as Shoten in the Japanese Shingon Buddhism tradition.

I got to this point due to the journey I have undertaken. Let me take you back a few years where it all started....... England!

I was pursuing my Masters in Environmental Economics at University Of York. My friends and I would discuss issues of sustainability and business and our roles in the world we would shape.

I thought that the most impact would be generated in areas of agriculture, water management and agriculture - based entrepreneurship.

I chose to come back to India and got a job as an analyst at Peoples Science Institute, Dehradoon, where I worked for a year.

It wasn't all serious discussion though. We did take out time to let our hair down and strum a few classics on our guitars!!

My area of work spanned 21 villages in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Due to this, I was mostly on the road. Visiting villages, collecting data and developing relationships with farmers.

The wealth of the Himalayas and what it offered to the world struck a deep chord in my heart.

It also showed me the hardships people face in our mountain regions.

And how culture and traditions interwoven with agricultural practices have created and sustained livelihoods over millenniums in the Himalayas.

A realization of the impact that climate change could have on our region dawned on me.

If sustainable practices were not adopted by the world soon, we would lose more than we had imagined in the next few decades.

My sojourn with the Himalayas came to an abrupt end. I was offered a partnership in an agri based start - up in Tanzania, East Africa. I took it and the next thing I know I was enjoying the sun set at Zanzibar.

Zanzibar

We founded Shabaash Agritech PLC and were committed to work in oilseeds, pulses and fresh vegetables.

We were one of the few companies in Tanzania that were working on organic farming.

We planted sunflowers and vegetables in 50 acres out of the acquired 200 acres in the first 6 months.

We were optimistic on our prospects before insurmountable problems covered us from all sides.

I contracted malaria and typhoid and land transfer to my company became a problem.

My first venture had failed.

But I had gained immensely in terms of running a business. I also learnt Swahili and I am fluent in it.

I seriously started considering a move back to Sikkim.

My brother, Abhimanyu, agreed to become a partner in our new venture in Sikkim.

I left my Mikumi with a heavy heart but with a promise to return to the friends I had made there. Rafiki Wangu Nitarudi Tena (I will return again my friends).

In the Meantime, Sikkim was getting Famous !!!!!!!!

Shoten Group felt that a right eco - system was being created by various stakeholders which made us explore and establish this start up.

The vision of the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Chamling found resonance with the vision of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Modi in Jaivik Kheti (Organic Agriculture)

The Sikkim Organic Festival 2016 was attended by the PM. The entire state was accorded organic full conversion status.

Sikkim had achieved what no country/province/district had yet attempted.

My brother and I were probably the happiest by this development.

The Minister for Agriculture, Shri Somnath Poudyal has been instrumental in providing the right push to producers in adopting organic practices.

He is providing leadership and guidance to create a new generation of local entrepreneurs in agro - processing and value chain development.

Shri P.D.Rai, MP, Lok Sabha lends a helping hand to every entrepreneur who knocks at his door.

He helped us understand the requirements and deliverables in agriculture and the need to create a sustainable business in food processing.

The Governor of Sikkim, His Excellency, Shri Patil has been a force multiplier in the organic story.

His words of wisdom have helped us shape our business in the model that we have implemented.

I was back in Sikkim & Shoten Group was born.

My brother and I spent the next 6 months on research. After intensely analyzing products, processes, quality assurance and business sustainability we crystallized our ideas to action.

How We Produce

Farm Perspective: We identified farmers and farmer groups. They were sensitized to our products, model of business and our priority in organic and sustainable farming methods.

They were given practical hands on training and have been provided a non financial support system through knowledge transfer and monthly monitoring for the entire production cycle.

This form of personalized monitoring ensures excellent quality along with a greater yield. Thus, increasing farm based incomes.

This process creates an environment of trust, integrity and reliability both for our farmers and consumers.

Challenges & Opportunities

The challenges were many. The first was the difficult mountain terrain, migration of youth from farming, non - remunerative prices for their produce and unattractive portrayal of farming.

To make agriculture attractive, we have to make farming cool and profitable. We seek to make farmers learn, un - learn and re - learn the art of business and mould them into units of sustainable agri - business that take care of their immediate and prospective future needs. We will be relentless in our pursuit to make this possible.

Supportive laws in Contract Farming in Sikkim and a decade old organic legacy has made our work easier.

We adapted to the challenges and created a model that focused on volume aggregation from marginal producers that were organized into clusters to create a hub and spoke scenario.

We organized farmers and self help groups into clusters and contracted the farming of Yacon (Peruvian Ground Apple), Shiitake Mushrooms and Buckwheat.

Generating volumes through small holdings is a challenge for any business. Therefore, our approach is to create diversification through bulk v/s niche, fast moving v/s select buyers and retail v/s wholesale. Thus, spreading our risks.

Such diversification will happen at the farm level as well. Where a mix of traditional, regular and high value crops creates a security net and a chance at sustainability.

Yacon Farmers at Tumin.

Yacon Statistics

1. Over 800 Kgs of seeds were planted in 10 acres by 45 farmers spread over 3 clusters.

2. All the 45 farmers have small/marginal land - holdings.

3. A monthly monitoring mechanism allows us to ensure Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are implemented.

4. A buy - back contract ensures a ready market for the farmers.

5. A yield ranging from 28 to 56 tonnes is expected this season.

Our first harvest and buy back is scheduled for this December.

Shiitake growers across Sikkim.

Shiitake Statistics

1. Around 4300 poles of Alnus nepalensis, Castanopsis indica and Betula alnodes have been inoculated with Shiitake spawn by 43 farmers spread across 5 clusters.

2. The farmers were given a specialized training for 3 days for this purpose.

3. A monthly monitoring system allows us to guide them and iron out inefficiencies.

4. A yield of 4.5 tonnes is expected in the first year.

5. A buy back agreement with the farmers ensures them a ready market.

6. We are working towards increasing our volumes by increasing the number of farmers in our network.

Excellence Through Quality

Farm2Fork is our retail brand.

Organic Certifications: Our products and unit will be organic certified based on EU and American standards of NOP and NPOP.

Sanitation: We will be working towards process and unit certification based on health and sanitation standards of HACCP ISO 22000.

Good Manufacturing Practices: Certification of our manufacturing processes ensures trust and confidence of our buyers.

Towards Zero Waste: Bio - degradable waste forms 98% of our total waste profile. We will use it to make compost, bio - fertilizers, bio - pesticides, cattle - feed and briquettes.

Recycling Water: Our system of filtration and rain water harvesting will help us save approximately 1250 liters of water a day. Ergo, we save over 450,000 liters of water annually.

Saving Energy: Conversion from conventional to harness solar energy to meet our requirements of light, computers and operation of small processing machines in a few years time.

These steps will help us move towards becoming a self sustaining unit with minimal impact on the environment. It creates a branding and marketing opportunity for our products as well.

The entire eco - system that Shoten Group intends to create will be of high quality assurance practices from the Farm right till it reaches the dinner table (Fork). Our retail brand is therefore called Farm 2 Fork.

Choosing Sustainablity

The Sustainable Development Goals, according to us, depends on the synergy of policy and lifestyle.

Shoten Group has voluntarily chosen to adopt many practices that fit well with the SDGs.

It is also a leap of faith for us. In the sense that we are investing more than required to meet the SDG objectives. Its our trust in people and nature that they would take care of us.

Beyond the bend,

a story yet to unfold.

Universe takes care of us in the end,

our pursuits are not all for gold.

#APYF2016 Abhinandan Dhakal, India.

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