In a significant move aimed at empowering women and boosting rural livelihoods, Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). The collaboration is set to promote social entrepreneurship and foster sustainable economic growth in rural areas by providing essential technical support and community engagement.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director of CSIR-CFTRI, and Dr. Basavaraju R Shreshta, Executive Director of GRAAM, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership. This collaboration brings together the expertise of food scientists from CFTRI and social scientists from GRAAM to advance rural development and women’s empowerment through innovative and impactful initiatives.
The partnership focuses on promoting rural and social entrepreneurship to generate livelihoods in targeted areas. The key initiatives under this collaboration include community mobilization, technical know-how, certification, and the creation of group enterprises. By integrating their resources and expertise, GRAAM and CFTRI aim to uplift rural communities, particularly women, who will be empowered to take leadership roles in economic activities.
The collaborative model designed by GRAAM and CFTRI aims to integrate various expertise, ensuring a holistic approach to rural development. Dr. Basavaraju R Shreshta, Executive Director of GRAAM, emphasized the unique collaboration of food scientists, social scientists, and women entrepreneurs, stating, “Our endeavor is to create a rural wealth creation model that demonstrates the outcome of ‘Food Scientist – Social Scientist – Home Scientist’ coming together. GRAAM’s social scientists will play a key role in mobilizing the community and empowering women, while CFTRI’s food scientists will provide advanced technology developed over years of research, capacitating women entrepreneurs to create value-added products from locally sourced ingredients like ragi.”
He further added, “Our ‘Home Scientists,’ the women entrepreneurs, face challenges head-on and use technology and training to create a variety of products from ragi procured from rural farmers. This partnership is about creating a sustainable business model that not only empowers women but also strengthens local economies.”
A key component of the MoU is the commitment to knowledge sharing and capacity building. The partnership emphasizes the dissemination of knowledge through technical papers, educational resources, and training materials, which will be presented at scientific and social conferences, seminars, and workshops. This initiative aims to create a ripple effect of information exchange, allowing for the development of new strategies and tools for rural entrepreneurship.
Moreover, the collaboration will focus on integrating Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems to ensure that the programs are constantly evolving and improving. This will provide a robust framework for tracking progress and making informed decisions that align with the broader goals of sustainable development and women empowerment.
Both GRAAM and CFTRI are committed to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ – a developed India. This partnership reflects their shared goal of creating a sustainable and prosperous future by providing rural communities with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed. The focus on creating social business initiatives, supported by technical know-how and hands-on training, aligns with the mission to foster rural wealth creation and empower women as key drivers of economic growth.
The anticipation surrounding this partnership is high, with hopes that it will bring positive changes to the communities involved. The collaboration is seen as a blueprint for future initiatives that will leverage the strengths of both food and social sciences to tackle pressing challenges in rural development.
The MoU between GRAAM and CFTRI represents a crucial step toward empowering rural communities, particularly women, through entrepreneurship and sustainable development. This collaboration is expected to lead to significant advancements in rural livelihoods, demonstrating the power of combining food science, social science, and community engagement. With both organizations committed to fostering a brighter future, this partnership is poised to make a lasting impact on India’s rural landscape.
