The business model of The Himalayan Ecology & Treatment of Natural Agriculture Samiti is a ‘social business model’. Donor networks are government, non-government, Individuals, CSR and community-based organizations, farmer’s federations, self-help groups, etc. Key activities are awareness, training, motivation, exposures, and demonstrations. Types of interventions are demand-driven activities like a supply of rural drinking water and environmental sanitation, sustainable agriculture through climate-resilient farming. Empowerment of peasant women of smallholders is being done by building up their capacity through training and exposure. The direct beneficiaries are small and marginal landholders and indirect consumers. The value proposition is the motivation of smallholders to start organic cultivation, to maintain the certification criteria, to manage post-harvesting specifications with value addition of the produce, and finally to satisfy the consumers on organic contents. The partners are KVK (agriculture extension center) for technical support and VNV Advisory Pvt. Ltd for marketing of produce. HETONA would be the channel besides local Panchayats, SHGs, Farmers ‘federation, and social media platforms. Cost structure consists of staff, cost of events, training, demonstrations, field trials, logistics, administration, organic certification, etc. The smallholders, if produce surplus will sell it in the market, and earned profits will be used for uplifting their living standard as well as for expanding business. Revenue earned through regular savings and inter-loans of the groups will be utilized for the promotion of marketing.
The primary motivation of NGO Corporate partnership is NGO’s need of funding and Corporate’s need to enhance its brand, reputation, and credibility. Though both are very different in their goals, structures, motivating factors, and cultures, however, they enter into relationships with each other with differing objectives. The corporate can consider NGOs as a partner in several key areas like Knowledge about execution challenges, facilitating factors and inhibitors on the ground, particularly in unfamiliar areas, establishing key relationships with local actors and communities, and building brand equity, whereas NGOs receive essential funding from the corporates to meet their social objectives.
HETONA working in the field of sustainable mountain agriculture needs corporate partnership because food, water, and clean air are the basic requirements of every human being how rich and poor he/she is. Apart from industries, transportation, and electricity, it is agriculture which is a major contributor of methane and nitrous oxide is reasonably responsible for exacerbating the greenhouse gas emissions the main reason for global warming and its side effects like rising sea level, weather extremes, and variations in precipitations. This is not only affecting the water and air quality but also deeply affecting agriculture, its land quality, productivity, production, and food nutrient and security. Therefore, climate-resilient sustainable farming practices and their intensification will not only improve soil health, productivity and production but also contribute to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sinks.
Therefore, there is a need of working on social-based NGOs with the corporates. HETONA as a rural-based organization has an idea, local manpower, and good rapport with the community, but its financial resources are quite inadequate to meet the requirements of change envisaged by it. Hence a partnership with corporates is essential to meet financial as well as market gaps. For example, our focus is on motivating, training, and exposures of smallholders of rain fed mountain agriculture to produce nutrient rich crops like barnyard millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, amaranths, and leguminous crops like cowpea, pigeon pea, kidney pea, horse gram, and dry beans. Its value addition and marketing are also equally important as the production is. A partnership with corporate will not only offloads the financial burden on the organization but also helps in organic certification of the product thus adding value to stimulate market demand. In this way, HETONA also visualizes to cater to the need for organic nutritional food to consumers.