“About 80% of all farm work is done by women,” says Subha Bhardwaj, a member of a local outfit called Organic Farmers Market. “There are plenty of women farmers, but the ‘farmer’ status is not accorded to them. Land holdings are usually in the name of the man in the family. Even when we think about farmers, an image of a man in a turban and dhoti is what comes to mind. Women are hardly ever portrayed as farmers.”
To change this state of affairs, Organic Farmers Market entered into a collaboration with Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women. The fruit of their labour will be seen this weekend, at their very first all-women organic farmers market.
This will be the first of a monthly series of such markets, and organisers plan to get bigger and better with every edition. “We are roping in farmers from all districts of Tamil Nadu, in rotation. So the ones you meet and interact with this month, may not be there next month,” says Subha.
In addition to the produce the farmers bring with them, there will also be a traditional food court aimed at educating visitors about ethnic food preparations. “Millets, for example, are very popular right now. A lot of well-meaning people are buying millets, knowing they are healthy, but they don’t know many ways to cook it. So we will have a few demonstrations on millet cooking for the people.” So look out for food stalls, stalls providing alternatives for plastic bags, those selling seed-filled Ganesha idols, and more.
Urban dwellers will not be the only ones learning something new. The idea here — just as in all farmers markets — is to eliminate the middleman. To let farmers see for themselves that there really is a market for organic produce. It is, after all, an expensive shift for a cultivator to make.
“Things like urea have become a habit for many farmers, even if they use little of it over large areas,” explains Subha, “We want them to see that, despite the extra cost of going organic, there are a lot of people who still want to buy it.”
A realisation and a shift such as this does not come about easily. The market is the end result of a long collaboration between this outfit and the cultivators.
“Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women has many women farmers enrolled in their schemes and under their self-help groups,” explains Subha. Organic Farmers Market has been working with these groups, to help them get a better understanding of all the levels of production that goes into making the produce truly organic.
“Consumers still have that doubt; they don’t know whether to trust if what they are buying is completely organic.” This market, Subha says, is a baby step in the right direction.
The All Women Organic Market will be held at Mother Teresa Women’s Complex, Valluvar Kottam High Road, on September 1 and 2. For details, call 9787504035.
