Narrative
This Catalyst Fund will support the Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM; Forum for women farmers rights) in celebrating its 10-year anniversary. MAKAAM is a network of civil society organisations promoting a transition to agroecological farming across India. It has made visible the lack of rights and marginalisation of women farmers as significant producers of food and other agricultural products in the country.The fund will be used to convene a “Seed Fair” where 20 MAKAAM women farmers from vulnerable backgrounds—marginalised castes, forest dwellers and tribals, single women, and migrant workers — will showcase their agroecological practices and share their knowledge with the public. Women will display the seeds they have conserved along with bio-inputs, diverse farm produce, and homemade foods, highlighting the benefits of agroecology as a pathway to achieving food security, biological diversity and environmental sustainability.
The Seed Fair will run alongside a two-day event attended delegates from international research institutions, civil society, policy makers and the public in Pune, India. It will also integrate parallel events, including the launch of a policy roadmap on “Promoting Gender Transformative Agroecology” , the screening of a film on women-led agroecology produced by MAKAAM, and public talks.
| Category of impact | Society and culture, Environmental |
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