Sustainable rural development by

rejuvenating agro based ecosystem

Agri team:

Anne Pihlanto (MTT) Baoru Yang (University of Turku)

Chand Malu (Shahi /Yogatech) Hilkka Vihinen (MTT)

IB Thakur (Drishtee) Leena Oosterberg (FinPro)

Minna Kahala (MTT) Mauri Ahlberg (University of Helsinki/NatureGate)

Sirpa Kurppa (MTT)

Farmer’s challenges

Reduced land holding

Non-viability of crops

Non-inspirational nature of the work

Migration

Mind set and cultural rigidity

No value addition

Value network

Key actors in ecosystem Local biodiversity

Local labor and families

Farmers, fishermen and clubs

Machinery and chemical providers

Seed producers

Wholesalers

NGO

Government

Gaps Knowledge and education

Farmers and fishermen’s organization

Social status

Woman employment

Social entrepreneurships

Policies & processes

Value addition

Need

To create inspiring and meaningful work for

the sustainable rural India by active

participation of social entrepreneur &

industry and value networks leading to better life.

Intiative 1: NatureGate Bihar • AIM To create NatureGate Bihar Online service for species identification, digital mapping of distribution and sustainable use of biodiversity. Especially, edible wild plants (260 - 300), mango and their diseases. • IMPACT

Conservation and sustainable use of local biodiversity enhancing local sustainable economy and wellbeing. LOCAL biodiversity is the key.

• HOW Using NatureGate Online Service, everybody will be able to identify species and their disesases, easily, interactively, without any previous knowledge, just by observing and clicking, and get useful knowledge.

WHEN: • First 12 months: Creating foundations for NatureGate Bihar Online

Service, finding partners, making agreements, contracts, starting work.

• Next 12 months: Using NatureGate Bihar Online Service, collecting user experiences, continually improving the service.

NEEDS: • FUNDING for licence to use patented tool, salaries, server creation

and maintenance.

• Local university experts,

• Indian entrepreneurs (e.g. education, ecotourism, fruit business, medicine, spice)

• Good contacts to administrators to promote its use in sustainable education, business, economy, ecotourism etc.

Initiative 1: NatureGate cont...

Initiative 2: Model school NEED: Transferring Indian rural society to the path of an inclusive sustainable bio-

economy

• Improved education

• Public awareness, self efficacy (empowerment)

• Participatory approach, network building

• Improved food security (affordability, availability, and quality)

• Subsidiarity in decision making (inclusiveness)

Sustainable techniques and methods taken to use

New business models built up

New governance

Impact: Key elements built for transformation process for sustainable bioeconomy and

welfare of Bihar rural societies

WHAT: a) Action Model: Holistic approach to a rural model school

• School catering , sustainable diet building, provision sustainable novel protein products, nutrient circulation

• Food education, experiential learning, efficacy building, empowerment

• Public awareness, social entrepreneurship, value addition to private entrepreneurship

Initiative 2: Model school cont...

b) Networks: •Finnish and Indian educational institutions – framework

•MTT Agrifood Research Finland (+Aalto university) – knowledge - initial ownership

•Schools (teachers) and villages (parents and children) – for actors

•Social (NGO) and private entrepreneurs – materials and actors

•Finnish and Indian companies – as facilitators

Partners:

• Potential food companies

c) Resources • When/timeline: concept building 1-6/2015, facilitation 7-12 /2015, initiation of

the pilot processes 10/2015- 10/2016, implementation on society level 10/2016-

• What are the gaps: funding for context building and cost benefit assessment 250 k€, local resources, facilities for piloting

Initiative 3: Natural preservatives (Project: FINDfood)

• What: Screening natural food preservatives from plant materials from Finland and India for global market

• Networks – University of Turku, Centre of Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI,

India), companies in food, health, well-being and marketing sectors

• Resources – Funding from TEKES and DBT, expertise and self-funding from all the

partners – Funding support is needed for such development work in 2015-2016

• When – FINDfood project: 2013-2014. Bioactive extract have been developed

and extraction technologies have been optimised by the project

• Gaps: Technological solutions are needed for – application of bioactive extracts in food products – development of functional food packages.

Challenge in agro sector and rural economy can be overcome by reorganising the value network