IDEI Capability Statement
1. ABOUT IDEI
IDEI is currently working in 15 states of India. Over the years, IDEI has reached out to over 1.25 Million small holder farm families, thereby impacting more than 6 Million people.
Making small-plot agriculture more remunerative and thereby reducing poverty, hunger and deprivation remains IDEI’s guiding philosophy. IDEI’s technology is designed to be one-fifth the cost of its competitors, scaled down to fit one-tenth hectare plots, and is able to generate sales at an unsubsidised market price. Characteristics of the technologies include:
- low cost;
- high return on investment of farmer (within one cropping season);
- divisibility;
- infinite expandability;
- simple and inexpensive to maintain;
- manually powered (replacing capital by labour).
IDEI promotes technology and services under KB brand. KB stands for Krishak Bandhu or Farmers’ Friend. The portfolio of KB technologies includes the KB treadle pumps, KB Drip and the Sprinkler Irrigation systems. These technologies help farmers, mostly practicing rain-fed agriculture, to adopt irrigated agriculture and get at least three crops a year instead of one that they would get under otherwise. The technologies are very suitable for vegetable and fruit crops which also provide better remuneration to small farmers. All these technologies continue to help the farmers earn on average, USD 400 (INR 16, 000) in net additional income each year.
IDEI creates and develops sustainable market for low cost irrigation technology by working both on supply and demand dimensions. IDEI follows the approach of using donor funds to build grass root entrepreneurs to stimulate a sustainable & free market. The technologies reach to the customers through a private sector supply chain, which is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of the technologies, at fair prices, while ensuring that manufacturers and distribution network retain their share of profits. IDEI engages in creation and capacity building of supply chain players. Simultaneously IDEI takes up promotion of technology among small farmers by using various innovative tools of communication.
The approach of regarding the poor as customers and not as recipients of charity has lead to income generation of over USD 1 Billion, at the hands of smallholder farmers (cumulatively).
For its efforts, to enable the small holder farmer emerge out of income poverty IDEI has been recognized and rewarded by several organizations. Some accolades include the;
- Tech Museum Award for Technology 2010;
- Finalist at the Zayed Future Energy Prize, 2010 Schwab Foundation Outstanding Social Entrepreneur Award in 2008;
- Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in 2006, Outstanding Award in 2009;
- Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2005;
- Templeton Freedom Prize in Social Entrepreneurship in 2005, amongst others.
- Tech Museum Award for Technology 2004.
In addition, IDEI has been featured on several other media sites.
2. INCREASING THE OUTREACH
Through its regional offices and branch offices manned by 100+ staff and supported by 150+ Business Associates, IDEI has reached out to over 12,000 villages in India. Enhancing this outreach is the partnership with over 50 plus manufacturers, 100 distributors, 2,000 plus dealers and more than 3,000 village level mechanics, further increasing the presence of KB in India.
Over the past 19 years, the impacts of the IDEI’s work have not been limited to income increase for the farmer; but have lead to economic, social and environmental benefits at several levels, which include:
ECONOMIC IMPACTS:
- Employment on Farm – 560 Million workdays leading to income creation of USD 700 Million.
- Employment through Installation – 0.91 Million workdays, leading to income creation of USD 1.6 Million.
- Employment at manufacturing level – 0.53 Million workdays, leading to income creation of USD 1.3 Million.
- Employment at the Delivery Network – 0.18 Million workdays, leading to income creation of USD 0.31 Million.
SOCIAL BENEFITS:
- Due to increase in employment within village, decrease in seasonal migration.
- Improved quality of life with access to better health, nutrition & education.
- Increase in ability to build assets.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:
- Reduction in carbon emission of 2.23 Million tCO2eq, when monetised it is worth USD 15.6 Million.
- Electricity saving of 700 Million kWh with monetised value of USD 10.5 Million.
- Water saving of 5.2 Billion Cu Meters, when monetised its is worth USD 2.23 Million .
- Diesel savings of 602.8 Million Litres, when monetised it is worth USD 482 Million.
3. GLOBAL PRESENCE
IDEI has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations. IDEI promoted low cost irrigation technology has been appreciated and adopted in a number of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. IDEI has worked in Burkina Faso as International Small Irrigation Expert for International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). IDEI is currently working with IFAD for developing supply chain and promoting small irrigation in Madagascar. IDEI has worked on site with partners in Kenya, Pakistan and Azerbaijan also.
IDEI promoted KB irrigation technology has also been exported to partners in Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
4. IDEI’s STRATEGY
4.1. Water Management: IDEI aims at finding solutions which would help the small holder farmer fulfil their farming aspirations. Knowing that access to irrigation water remains a critical impediment for the growth of the small holder farmer, IDEI has been working towards developing and providing these small holders with solutions to overcome this problem.
The small holder farmer, instead of relying on rains, laborious hand pumps or expensive diesel pumps to draw water, is able to irrigate their crops as per requirement using the KB Bamboo Treadle Pump. The KB Surface Treadle Pump, helps in drawing water from surface sources such as ponds, wells, rivers etc has been beneficial in areas where the dependability on surface water has been high.
In arid/semi-arid regions of the country, which face acute water shortage, the introduction of the low cost, customisable drip systems have helped the farmers save their dying crops during the summer months.
With the introduction of the KB systems, the farmers have been able to move from one cropping season to three in a year, thereby not only increasing the farmers’ ability to increase crop yields but also their income earning ability.
4.2. Linking Poor to the Markets: In order to get maximum productivity and therefore higher cost for the produce, not only does the farmer require knowledge on effective farm inputs, but also access to the right markets to be able to demand the correct price. IDEI, in its endeavour to provide to the small holder, a complete package of services has undertaken several initiatives which include:
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices (SAP): training on the preparation & use of several farm inputs including bio-dynamic pesticides and fertilisers as well as establishment of vegetable nurseries. IDEI has also been providing support in developing & establishing farmer entrepreneurs. Nursery owners who have started selling saplings to other farmers; farmers who have been preparing vermi wash and bio-dynamic fertilisers have been linked to the dealers and other output service providers.
• Market Access & Information: this includes training & information on the identification & use of quality seeds and saplings.
• Crop Information: the information on what kind of crops to be cultivated when, to derive best economic benefit.
• Post Harvest: this includes training & information on post harvest practices which includes preserving, storing, value addition and packaging.
IDEI has formed several alliances at local at national levels, which have further strengthened the market linkages. These include:
- Corporate Houses - EID Parry (sugarcane) and Himalaya Drug Company (medicinal plants).
- Private Seed and Agri Input Companies - Seminis, Bijo Sheetal and Nath Seeds.
- Sugarcane factories in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.
4.3. Wealth Creation & Livelihood Opportunities
IDEI has helped in creating 561.62 Million work days of employment, thereby generating wealth worth USD 703.2 Million. This includes employment for 560 Million work days of on-farm labour, who have earned USD 700 Million; as well as employment for over 3, 000 village level mechanics, who have earned an income of USD 1.6 Million. The establishment of grassroots entrepreneurs; that who not only practice SAP, but also sell the products, has also been a critical source of additional livelihood for these small holder farmers. With 501 nursery owners several SAP entrepreneurs, ensured livelihood opportunities have been created at the village level.
4.4 Carbon Credit
IDEI is promoting environmentally friendly technologies the treadle pump and drip irrigation systems amongst smallholder farmers in India.
Treadle pumps are human powered water lifting devices used to irrigate fields in India. The pumps replace diesel driven pumps, saving CO2 emission, improving agricultural yields and empowering the rural poor. Drip Irrigation Systems are water application devices used to irrigate fields in water scarce regions of India. These are water efficient device that works under low pressure which reduces requirement of water and electricity, improving agricultural yields & empowering the rural poor. Because of saving electricity they offset CO2.
With respect to the carbon credit programme, the baseline is diesel fuel consumption (in case of treadle pump) and use of electricity from the grid (in case of drip irrigation systems).
IDEI adopted the VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard) for its programme and is aiming to upgrade from VCS to VCS gold standards.
The current status of the programme is as follows: we have successfully completed 3rd VCS verification project (by the end of June 2011).
4.5 Water Credit
First Climate and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have set up a Public Private Partnership called “Water Benefit Partners” (the “PPP”) to develop the Water Benefit Certificate (“WBC”) mechanism, which will allow water project financing to be linked to measurable and verifiable project benefits. Based on this mechanism, additional funding can be raised to support water conservation projects that address water issues where they are most pressing. The PPP aims to develop the standards, methodologies and tools required to establish the WBC mechanism and a corresponding market.
Under the PPP, IDEI’s drip irrigation project in India has been identified as the WBC pilot project with a view to generating WBCs based on the volume of water saved.
IDEI is hopeful that the project will be nothing short of a revolution on concerns around water and that it will help in raising the awareness bar globally.
4.6. Micro Finance
With presence in over 10,000 villages with an established customer base of over 1.2 Million, IDEI remains a critical link between the farmers and micro-credit institutions. Utilising its partnership with SHGs, NGOs, cooperatives, banks and members of supply chain, IDEI has been able to support farmers in accessing credit facilities in some parts of India.
4.7. Developing social enterprises
IDEI has facilitated the formation of Global EasyWater Products (GEWP), a for-profit entity for the supply and distribution of irrigation products across India and the globe. GEWP has received foreign investment from social venture capital firm in order to scale up its operations. IDEI is in the process of setting up some more social enterprises to address other problems faced by smallholder farmers.
IDEI has facilitated formation of another for-profit entity - BlueWealth International Pvt Ltd.
4.8. Technical Expertise
IDEI has been invited by several organisations/ agencies for sharing its experiences and guiding other organisations that are working with similar target group under similar conditions. (Mentioned below):
| Country/ IDEI Forte |
Zimbabwe |
India |
Pakistan |
Azerbaijan |
Burkina Faso |
Madagascar |
Tanzania |
Sri Lanka |
Kenya |
Afghanistan |
Feasibility study for micro irrigation projects
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Capacity building in project implementation
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Developing PDD
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Mapping Financial Constraints Of Rural Entrepreneurs
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Impact assessment
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Developing strategy for replication of successful irrigation programmes to newer areas
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Developing (customised) trainings manuals (& other material) for low pressure technologies
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Feasibility study for drinking water project
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| Testing & evaluation of irrigations technologies |
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5. EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH DONORS
Over the past 20 years, IDEI has been supported by several donor agencies, foundations as well as bi-lateral agencies. IDEI continues to receive support from several organisations towards achieving its aim of reaching out to over 30 Million people belonging to the small holder farmer category across India, by the year 2020. Some key supporters include:
Donor Type
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Funding Organisation
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| PUBLIC FOUNDATIONS |
Carrefour Foundation
Skoll Foundation
Veolia Foundation
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| NGO Donors |
ICCO
Misereor
IFAD
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| PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS |
Lemelson Foundation
Deshpande Foundation
Voxtra
NR International
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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INDIAN FOUNDATION
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Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
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| ENVIRONMENT FUND |
JP Morgan Chase
Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy
First Climate
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GOVERNMENT FUND
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COMCLAP (Government of Orissa)
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| BI-LATERAL AGENCY |
Swiss Agency for Development Corporation (SDC),
USAID
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Having been associated with donor agencies, foundations, bi-lateral agencies, and government departments IDEI has over the years not only strengthened its relations with the donor community, but continues to work in long-term partnerships.