SDGs: How does Vrutti Contribute

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are aimed at addressing the biggest problems the world faces today. As has been reiterated time and again, multilateral action is central to the achievement of the SDGs. In other words, fulfillment of the SDGs requires a unified coming together of countries and organisations.

Vrutti is playing its part in realising the larger agenda of and for the world by contributing to nine of the 17 SDGs.        

The basic premise behind Vrutti's foray into the livelihood sector was to increase the wealth of marginalised farmers and landless labourers, women fish vendors and women entrepreneurs owning micro, small and medium scale enterprises. Our livelihood support models (such as our flagship 3Fold model for small farmers) has enabled them graduate out of poverty by providing avenues to improve the efficiencies of their livelihoods and increase their income.

Over the years, we have contributed to reducing poverty (SDG 1) of 1.6 lakh families that include farmers, marginalised communities, women fish vendors and women entrepreneurs.

Gender equality (SDG 5) is cardinal to our community engagement activities. Priority is given to women during farmer mobilisation, right from our base structure of primary groups to the apex bodies, the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Dedicated efforts are also taken to ensure that women are ably represented in the governing boards to the FPOs. To cite an example, all our three FPOs in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu have 100% women Board of Directors.

It is also our endeavour to facilitate 'Decent Work and Economic Growth' (SDG 8) for the communities we work for. For instance, the working conditions of fish vendors in markets is considered amongst the most deplorable. To help them secure a decent working condition that enables both well-being and economic growth, Vrutti has conducted market surveys in Mumbai and Chennai, and shared the study findings to the Government to impress upon them the need for better working conditions for the fish vendors.

The fact that Vrutti has chosen to work with women fish vendors and women entrepreneurs embodies our commitment to provide an equal space and footing for women, thereby reducing inequalities (SDG 10).

Responsible consumption & production (SDG 12) is another goal that we ardently work towards achieving. A key tenet of our 3Fold model is sustainable agriculture practices that do not exploit Nature. We also encourage our FPOs to produce value-added products such as cold-pressed oils, whose production processes are environment friendly. From a consumer perspective, they retain most of the vitamins, micronutrients, proteins, antioxidants, and are known to aid in weight loss besides reducing cholesterol.

The 3Fold model is designed to address the complex issues faced by the smallholder farmers through an integrated approach of empowering the farmers in the agriculture and allied value chains and building a strong ecosystem to sustain the services. One of the key innovative approaches adopted are Climate Action (SDG 13) that carries a systematic assessment of risks and vulnerabilities to climate change, its impacts on smallholder farmers, current knowledge and skills level to mitigate, adapt and improve coping mechanisms.

Vrutti has a dedicated vertical called 'fishMARC' that not only works to empower the fisherfolk but works towards ensuring that the fish resources are sustainable. One of our Directors Shri V Vivekanandan is an internationally acclaimed expert who contributes to policy-level national and international discussions and dialogues to ensure that 'Life Below Water' (SDG 14) is sustainable.

Our work along with our group organisation GREEN Foundation aims at biodiversity conservation through promotion of regenerative agriculture practices and ensure that Life on Land (SDG 15) is sustainable. We also intensely encourage our farmer organisations to invest in soil and water conservation and efforts to prevent land degradation.

Vrutti understands that partnerships are critical for the achievement of SDGs (SDG 17). Towards this, we enter into partnerships with market players, financial institutions, technical and technology related organizations and government departments to leverage expertise. Our COVID-19 response as a co-founder and key partner of the 359-member strong COVIDActionCollab has afforded us many benefits and learning?

Furthermore, localised achievement of the SDGs is seamlessly integrated in all our projects taken up at the ground level contributing to overall achievement of SDGs. It is heartening to see Vrutti being able to touch so many lives and contributing, in a small but significant way to the SDGs. I wish them more success in future endeavours.

This article by N Raghunathan, Chief Mentor and Co-Founder, Vrutti was originally written for the Annual Report 2021-22. The Report is available at https://vruttiimpactcatalysts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Vrutti_Annual_Report_2021-22.pdf

#Vrutti #CatalystGroup #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #sustainabledevelopment #sdgs #farmers #smallholderfarmers #agriculture #sustainableagriculture #regenerativeagriculture #fisherfolk #marginalised #lifebelowwater #discussions #dialogues #knowledge #valuechain #partnerships #Covid19 Raghunathan N Balakrishnan S United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth UN Sustainable Development Group