Affiliations
A. Organizations working with networks of small farmers
reStore collaborates with the following organizations working with small farmers. All of them are non-profits and have a focus on organic farming, work with marginalized farmers and traditional crops. They are all sensitive to promoting local consumption of organic and healthful food by the farmers, and not just blindly support growing for the urban markets alone. They all follow some kind of participatory group organic certification of farms in their networks.
Our members constantly interact with them, visit their farms, meet their farmers, share experiences and knowledge, and participate in programs and events organized by each other, thereby building relationships that go beyond just supplier-buyer relationships.
Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems (CIKS), Chennai
www.ciks.org
CIKS focuses on research and development in organic agriculture (with a focus on traditional paddy varieties) through actual field experiments and mining knowledge from ancient texts and local folklore. CIKS works with a network of small organic farmers in Chengalpet, by training them in organic farming techniques and facilitating marketing their produce through the Chengalpet Organic Producers Society (COPS). reStore sources gingelly oil, a variety of rices and some local vegetables and fruits from COPS.
Sahaja Samrudha, Bangalore
www.sahajasamrudha.org
Sahaja Samrudha (Bountiful Nature) started as a farmers’ initiative to exchange ideas, seeds and share knowledge on sustainable agriculture. The organization now has active wings focused on conducting farmers training workshops, publications, marketing, etc. across Karnataka. reStore sources mainly wheat, pulses and spices from small farmers in the network of Sahaja Samrudha.
Timbaktu Collective, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
www.timbaktu.org
Timbaktu Collective focuses on dryland farming in the villages of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. Rain-fed crops like groundnuts, red gram (toor dal) and a variety of millets are grown by small farmers in this area. reStore sources millets, groundnut oil, toor dal from these farmers through Dharani, a farmers collective.
Tribal Health Initiative, Sittilingi, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu
www.tribalhealth.org
THI started working in tribal areas in Dharmapuri district, primarily on health care. When the team realized that changing cropping and diet patterns of the local people were contributing to deterioration in their health, THI started the Tribal Farming Initiative, an agriculture wing and facilitating the marketing of the produce through the brand name SVAD. THI focuses on the cultivation of traditional millets, traditional paddy varieties and turmeric, which reStore regularly sources from them.
Deccan Development Society, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh
www.ddsindia.com
The DDS is a grassroots organization working in about 75 villages with women's Sanghas in Medak District. The 5000 women members of the Society are mostly poor and dalit. These women-led Sanghas focus on seed sovereignty, and cultivate a variety of crops organically with a focus on millets and pulses. reStore sources some millets and pulses from DDS.
B. City-based organizations working with a vision
reStore works with such organizations as these:
Vishranthi, Chennai
Vishranthi is an old-age home for women in Palavakkam, Chennai. Old women in Vishranthi handheld reStore during our initial days of learning to work with grains with their knowledge about grain quality, grain maintenance, preparation, etc. They offered their space for our grain storage and their valuable services in highly skilled cleaning and winnowing of our grains before we could package and sell them. reStore continues exploring various ways of furthering its relationship with this organization.
Vidya Sagar, Chennai
www.vidyasagar.co.in
Vidya Sagar is an organization that works on holistic development and education for children and adults with special needs. reStore works with and supports Vidya Sagar’s livelihoods wing by sourcing paper covers made by the children for packaging reStore’s food products.
Goonj, Delhi
www.goonj.org
Goonj is an initiative with an all-India presence and a branch in Chennai. Goonj provides the invaluable service of channeling donated clothing and other materials to the most needy in destitute organizations and disaster relief camps. reStore volunteers work with Goonj by organizing used-clothes collection drives, as well as sourcing products (like bags) made using recycled cloth by SHGs trained and mentored by Goonj.
