SAI's Secret Unfolded

Last week, my friend Surya Patra - an NRI from Ireland, paid a visit to the SAI-Sustainable Agro field in Odisha, spending three insightful days there. Engaging with farmers, women, adolescents, and youth, he absorbed the transformations brought about by SAI over the past 11 years. As we journeyed back to Bhubaneswar, our conversation took an intriguing turn.

Surya Patra: Sinha ji, forgive me for asking, but aren't you essentially practicing the same agricultural methods which our ancestors did, cultivating crops alongside trees?

Me: YES and NO. I further explained.

ME: We are indeed practicing agroforestry akin to our ancestors. They lived in perfect harmony with nature, maintaining fruit and timber trees, seasonal crops, and livestock without the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides. However, these practices faded over time, leading to deforestation and land degradation.

I explained to Mr. Surya Patra the alarming extent of land degradation in India, with around 120 million hectares land are degraded, and how simple soil treatments could revive much of it. When I mentioned the annual erosion of 17 tons of soil per hectare, he was shocked.

Surya Patra: That's staggering!

Me: Indeed,

But where some see problems, entrepreneurs see opportunities.

My spouse and I have reclaimed 4000 acres of land in last 11 years using our resources alone. Imagine the impact with government and other agencies support.

Me: However, we're not simply replicating ancient methods. Can you see those lush lands with double rows of trees?

Surya Patra: Yes, they're impressive.

Me: Those were once degraded. Our ancestors maintained fertile soil, but greed and need destroyed the microorganisms vital for fertility. Therefore, I had to employ both traditional wisdom and scientific knowledge to revive them.

This led Mr. Surya Patra to pose a final question:

Surya Patra: Why haven't government and other agencies replicated your model?

Me: That's up to them. However, you may be interested to learn that I presented my model to NITI Aayog in 2018, and the meeting was chaired by Prof. Ramesh Chand, NITI Aayog member.

I further told Mr. Surya Patra that despite awareness within Odisha bureaucracy, no replication efforts have been made. Even no government official made any visit and discuss.

Meanwhile, I'm sharing this model in various African countries. I have no desire to chase these government officials and waste my time; my focus remains on investing my energy and resources where they're most needed – with the people who need me most. I have also been documenting all my experiences and learning so as these could be taken as blueprint for success, even if I don’t exist.

Jitendra Sinha

Co-founder & CEO, SAI