Environmental Resilience

Awareness in School

Environmental Resilience Livelihood in Sundarbans

[Alternative Livelihood for Fishing Women]

In rural India, kitchen gardens act as vital safety nets for rural smallholders and families. They ensure that no household goes without access to fresh, healthy food—especially in times when incomes are uncertain or markets are out of reach.

Through the Sustainable Livelihood Programme (SLP), communities are growing seasonal vegetables—often using local and indigenous varieties—right in their backyards or on small plots. This not only supports nutrition and daily meals but also adds to household income.

What makes this truly sustainable is its simplicity. These gardens bring back traditional, climate-resilient food systems that are good for the environment, reducing food miles, preserving seed diversity, and restoring a deep connection to the land.

Project Implementation

• We facilitated 300 small farmers, including fishing women, to grow organic vegetables.
• Promoted seed preservation as part of an alternative livelihood initiative.
• Focused efforts in the coastal block [Lebukhali GP], North 24 Parganas.
• Kitchen gardens designed to be cost-effective, practical, and nutritionally balanced.

Benefits

• Improved household nutrition through fresh organic produce.
• Additional family income from surplus vegetable sales.
• Preservation of local seed diversity.
• Strengthened resilience against climate and market shocks.