Project Concept Paper

Background of the proposal and proposer:

India is an agricultural country by nature with plenty of natural and human resources. Due to various
reasons, the impact of the so called development had scraped the earth, nature and creatures including human.
Unless there is a massive effort taken, the forth coming endangers to the humanity, nation and the earth could
never be protected. As a responsible civil society movement in the South India region, we, a group of 38
established NGOs from various localities of the state come together and formed the network called JANSI (Joint
Action for Nature and Sustainability in India).We have engaged ourselves in the campaigning work to preserve
nature and implemented programs in the state.
Two important issues were largely discussed. One is the majority population of the country, the agriculture
community had become worst affected because of chemical modern farming system and the land resources are
lost, only if they are involved and if a mass action for development of land fertility is started the problem of global
warming and climate change is significantly addressed and simultaneously the livelihood of people involved
sustained. And second one is the worst affected agriculture situation. Unless there is a mass action started a huge
portion of land become very soon infertile and a huge population will continue to starve for survival. The state
Burdon on safety net will goes on endlessly increased. Above all, a golden opportunity of significantly reducing
status of global warming missed.
 With the issues and degrees of urgency, a core group of NGO leaders and community members sat together
and Collectively discussed and evolved a joint action program with cost effective strategies significantly reaching
out the target. The proposal is here by presented.

Legal Holding
Organization:
ASSOCIATION FOR RURALDEVELOPMENT (ARD)

Background:

Address: 2/127-ARD NAGAR,

P.MEENAKSHIPATTI KARUMATHUR VIA

MADURAI DISTRICT-625514.

Telephone: 979190770

Chief Functionary. Mr. JOSEPH VINCENT SECRATARY,

Website: https://ardmadurai.weebly.com/

Email: ardindia2009@gmail.com
Legal Status:

1. Registered under Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act 1975 on 5th August 1985. Reg. No. 53/1985.

2. Registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 1976 on 24th March 1986. Reg. No. 075940165. The
present renewal submission is on 09.02.2022 File number is 6700532022. It is under process.

3. Registered for 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act 1961 on 25.10.1992. C. No. 464/96/92-93. Renewed on 24.09.2021

4. Registered for 80G (5) (vi) of the I.T. Act 1961 on 14.07.2006. C. No. 464/96/92-93/ CIT-I. Renewed on
24.09.2021

5. Registered under NGO DARPAN and the Unique ID is TN/2016/0100071

6. Registered for Tax deduction Account No. The TAN number given is MRIA04174C

7. Received ISO 9001: 2008 certification on 3rd June 2009. C. No. 644982

8. Received NSIC-ONICRA SE-2A certification on 23rd March 2013. C. No. 12-13/ONICRA/UID15521/21055.

9. Registered under The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, New Delhi and received CSR No.CSR00026274

Mission: Capacity enhancement, collectivization and creating greater access to of marginal communities towards protection
and development of natural and Human Resources
Vision: A healthy, greeny, wealthy, non-discriminatory humanity in India enjoying freedom.

Supporting Agencies:

• Andheri Hilfe Bonn e. V. Germany

• Premadhara Strome Liebe e. V. Germany

• Sight and Life Switzerland

• Andheri Trust Trichy

• Elton John Foundation, London

• Indo Global Social Service Society, New Delhi.

• Tzedek Overseas Project, UK.

• Water for Humanity, USA

• CASTICUM, Netherlands
Name of the Project: JOINT ACTION FOR NATURE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN INDIA (JANSI)
Vision of the Project: India with micro and macro level of food security significantly contributing to the efforts against global warming
and towards Millennium Development goal of UN.
Aim of the project: To improve the sustainable and dignified life standard of communities in India
Target Areas: All 38 districts of Tamilnadu state.
Result areas:
1. Significantly contributing to the effort against global warming through promoting and practise of nature care
2. Household and macro level food security through transfer of diversified and sustainable agricultural practices
which simultaneously sustain nature.
.
Expected outcomes:
1. Increased nature care conscious of people.
2. Increased number of farmers started involving in ecological farming in the increased extends of cultivable land.
3. increased capacity of farmers and land resulted in increased productivity and income,
4. Extend of Increased green cover, reduced utilization of ground water and sustained land capacity resulted in
significant contribution of the effort against global warming,
5. Increased level of production and decreased level of external dependency resulted in food security in household
level contributing to the macro level.

Program Strategies:
1. Demonstration and experimentation of diversified sustainable agricultural practices.
 2. Optimum utilization of state and other resources towards complement to the aim of the project through
Community empowerment.
3. Transfer of proven traditional technologies

Rational of the Project: The household level food security situation, especially for the vulnerable communities in India is about to face
serious proposition. Although India had already announced that she had achieved food security, the reality
depicts a far different and a highly complex picture. There is significant gap between the standards used by the
Government to measure food security and the real needs of people. In the public system planning, the food
security is measured on the basis of the demands and not by the basis of the needs of India’s population. As the
demands for the food is adversely influenced by the lack of or limited purchasing power of the poor people, as
well as system inefficiencies, the demand is far lower than actual needs. Thus the significant difference between
the needs of the people and their demands does not get factored in establishing food availability/production
target. Thus, the actual food security level (even in macro terms) is far lower than the level reported.
Only when the nation’s food security is measured against the needs of the country, the real food security status
will be achieved and claimed. The idle policy could be setting appropriate target based on the real need which
can influence availability, which can in turn positively influence on demand, which can in turn influence targeted
production. On the contrary, the demand based policy can restrict availability / production and the availability
levels can restrict the demand and the demand in its turn can further restrict availability/production and the cycle
would go on. While there is significant gap between the country’s need and supply/availability as described
above, the limited purchasing power of the impoverished people and the system weaknesses further limits the
food security at household level. Thus there is wide supply need gap at the household levels of poor people.
 Thus lower national level availability, limited purchasing power and systemic weaknesses together contribute to
significant food insecurity for poor people in India. State Projections made for the next decade indicate that the
growth rate needs to be doubled in the next fifteen years when compared to the past 15 years.
Deteriorating traditional livelihood of farming for small and marginal farmers:
At least a brief discussion on the ground level issues is central to come to an understanding of the agriculture
sector situation.
1. Recurrent monsoon failure and erratic monsoon and natural calamity:
2. Inflamed rates of agriculture inputs
3. Increased quantity of chemical inputs.
4. Decreased rate of land fertility resulting in production and productivity
5. Comparatively less rate for production.
While the monsoon failure contributed to drought situation in the State, there have also been cyclone and un-
seasonal rains and excessive monsoon rains devastated the standing crops.
Situation of small and marginal farmers:
These farmers are already resource poor people who are under systematic denial of rights and discriminatory
practices for centuries by the landlords and the society at large. Such exclusive and discriminatory practices led
to lack of access to information, resources and opportunities necessary to improve their lives. They weak out
their living with meager agricultural products produced in their lands which is hardly sufficient for their family
needs. Any small change in the agricultural situation e.g., monsoon timeliness, quality input availability and their
cost could significantly affect their farm economy and thus their lives. These historically exploited resource poor
farmers are in a state of hopelessness. On the one hand they face the highly exploitative markets and on the other
recurrent monsoon failure or un-seasonal and excessive rains and floods and poorly maintained irrigation system.
 On the one hand, the excessive use of fertilizers has degraded soil nutrients and thus the productivity. On the
other hand, ever increasing investment cost, lack of exposure to alternative technology. Thus the small and
marginal farmers return home with little or no income from farm.
The net result of the complex agriculture sector situation described above is the small and marginal farmers who
are dependent on rain-fed and government maintained irrigation system and middlemen for capital and inputs
have been pushed to a helpless situation having fallen into serious debt trap. The contract farming system
promoted by the commercial houses have also significantly reversed the farm economy for the poor farmers
having pushed them into serious debt trap with no reasonable income from the lands. Suicidal deaths of farmers
have become common news. Many farmers have sold their lands or shunned the farming as the farming is no
more economical, ever increasing investment and lowering returns. The principle factors attributable to such an
uneconomical farming for small and marginal farmers.
Activities:

1. Developing systematic core communication towards development of nature conscious,

2. By sustainable community mechanism plantation and growing of 10 million trees

3. Establishment of demonstrational farm with all model in-house activities ( Farming various diversified varieties
adopting technologies (Nursery raising, floriculture, horticulture, ornamental and herbal plant), trip irrigation,
sprinkler irrigation, system of Raise intensification, poultry, dairy, fishery, piggery, goatary, compost, vermi
compost, traditional seed bank, alternative renewable energies like bio gas, solar and gasifier, value
addition, indigenous bio pesticides, soil treatment, market scan and development, village knowledge centre and
etc)
 4. Identification of suitable, committed and eligible master farmers.

5. Training of master farmers on various diversified sustainable farming technologies,

6. Promoting experimental farms at various places of master farmers to the tune of total 2850 acres in 1st year 3562
acres in 2nd year 4452 acres in 3rd year.,

Methodology: This is basically a joint action project of grassroots NGOs in coastal Tamilnadu. 38 NGOs are implementing
programs throughout the state. And profile of NGOs for further details. In every district the project is proposed to be
originated in 30 selected villages. (The idea is to expand further by its own course of experimentation and
motivation and reach out the entire agriculture area) The management of the project JANSI is taken care of the
CORE committee consisting of 5 members.

Core Committee members are

1. Dr. K. Joseph Vincent. M.A., M.Phil., D.Hons.

2. S. Bharathithasan

3. Johnson Amalanathan. M

4. S. Malaiarasan

5. David Doss. Y
 All decisions relating to this project will be discussed by the committee and taken decisions would be taken.

Every NGO will work in 30 villages of respective districts

Reporting: field staff will report to NGOs in weekly basis

NGOs will report to the JANSI Director in Monthly basis

JANSI will report to Fiscal sponsor in Quarterly basis

Fiscal Sponsor will report donor in Quarterly basis.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Concurrent project processes Monitoring will be done by one stage upper level functionaries some case it is staff
some case NGO head. Whereas the outcome monitoring will be done by core committee.

The Evaluation will be done by core committee plus one external expert in every year end, The indicators and
means of verification will be the tool used for the monitoring and evaluation. Based on the decision of the
evaluation committee, the follow upand extension will be planned.
 LOGICAL FRAME WORK –PROJECT JANSI

Vision of the Project: India with micro and macro level of food security significantly Contributing to the efforts against global warming and
Millennium Development goal of UN.

Aim of the project: To improve the sustainable and dignified life standard of communities in India

Expected Results Proposed Activities Measurable Indicators Means of Verification Important Assumptions

1. Significantly contributing to the 1. Planting 10 Million trees (1 1. No of trees planted (10 million ) 1. Physical 1. Monsoon will not be a
effort against global warming Crore Trees) 2. No of trees surviving (9.5 million ) 2. Documentary too much disadvantage.
through promoting knowledge and 3. Capacity and conscious on nature 3. Case studies 2. The impact of the
2. Awareness generation and
practises of nature care care increased 4. interaction experimental farming will
motivation towards nature
. attract others to this
care,
practice.
2. Household and macro level food
security through transfer of
diversified and sustainable
agricultural practices which
simultaneously sustain nature.
1. .Establishment of 1. No of master farmers 1. Physical 1. The state sources would
demonstrational farm with all developed 2. Documentary be largely capitalized.
model in-house 2. Increased capacity of master 3. Case 2. on the basis of evidence
activities Farmers. 4. studies, people will easily accept
2. Identification of suitable, 3. No of experimental farming plots 5. interaction new technologies
committed and eligible promoted,
master farmers. 4. No of experimental farmers
3. Training of master farmers promoted
on various diversified
sustainable farming
technologies,
4. Promoting experimental
farms at various places of
master farmers,