Akshayakalpa
Community Development
2022
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Akshayakalpa Organic is India’s first certified dairy enterprise with a goal to make clean nutrition accessible to all. India is the largest producer of dairy in the world. Together we are part of an on-going journey to create sustainable farms which are a perfect amalgamation of our goal to nurture nature, preserve heritage practices and utilize scientific expertise – while meeting the growing need for complete and convenient nutrition.
In addition to producing excellent products, Akshyakalpa has several initiatives going that are at the vanguard of creating sustainable food chains. They are currently in the process of diversifying agricultural production and specifically including legumes in the crop rotation. The goal is both to improve food security and food variety for the farmers themselves, but also to create a surplus of vegetables to sell commercially and thereby expand their sources of income. Akshayakalpa also have a program where they invite customers from nearby cities to spend a night with the farming families. That way the customers have the opportunity to learn about the life of the farmers. They can help with chores, experience where their yoghurt and the vegetables they eat comes from, and create a whole new relationships with their food and the people who produce it.
bringing our farmers homE
At the heart of Akshayakalpa Organic is our community of rural farmers, a farmer-first organization with a vision to improve the quality of rural livelihood of farmer families through small purposeful steps. One of their biggest goals is to create a stream of stable and regular income for farmer families. Initiatives to empower farmers with resources – technological, mechanical, financial and academic - which helps them focus on economic and ecological growth. 68% of the revenue generated through dairy is paid back to the farmers. Akshayakalpa Organic initiatives have inspired a reverse migration of farmers from cities back to villages and to agriculture as a profession.
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Let's harness the power of communities to elevate farmers. One farmer per village is set up as a role model. Their story is an inspiration to tens of other young farmers and propels them towards clean farming as a vocation. Today they are a family of 500 farmers and growing every day!
We also work to empower women farmers by helping them generate independent incomes. They have expanded their product list to include organic tender coconuts, organic honey and organic vegetables -thereby supplementing the farmer’s incomes through existing biodiversities at their farms.
Creating an Upward Chain of Nutrition
Soil that is alive and thriving at Akshayakalpa farms is used to grow nutrient-packed organic fodder – the source of nourishment for the cows! The minerals and vitamins from the soil translate into a well-balanced diet to help maintain the health of the cows. Cow dung is used as manure for the soil and lack of fertilizers and pesticides ensures that no chemical traces find their way into the cow’s food.
The cows are free-roaming and stress-free. They have always access to food and clean drinking water and stay in hygienic conditions.
The goodness of this milk begins at the grass root level – literally!
Waste not, Want not!
We believe in farming for the future. Akshayakalpa strives to see how we can make farms, offices, and facilities more sustainable and balanced.
The practices at Akshayakalpa farms are based largely on the principles of circular economy and co-existence farming to reduce their ecological footprint. We encourage localization of all resources – wherein the day-to-day requirement of the organic farm is met by the farm itself.
A product that has served its purpose should be a part of a new cycle of use. The cow-dung produced by the cows is put through a bio-digester to produce methane gas. This gas is used by the farmers to run machinery and equipment or within the kitchen. The residue sludge is converted to slurry, which adds to the fertility of the soil at the farms and prepares the soil to sustain bio-diversity. Each of the farms are home to an assorted range of crops to increase the bio-diversity and the family’s food is grown on their very land. Coconut husks, used as mulch, find their way back to the soil as fertilizer. They have set up a zero-discharge facility at their farms through a combined effluent treat plant (CETP) where both domestic and industrial wastes are treated and used on the farms itself.
Their first steps towards the goal to be ‘Plastic-free by 2030’ has been regular collection of dairy packaging for recycling. They are also in the process of launching 100% recyclable milk board packaging which will reduce plastic consumption by 96%
We take The Promise of
Quality Seriously
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All products are “certified organic” as per the guidelines of National Program for Organic Production standards laid down by APEDA, the governing body for organic produce and processing in India. The unified logo and tagline “Jaivik Bharat” found on the packaging helps distinguish organic products from non-organic ones and signifies Organic Food from India. The logo communicates adherence to the National Organic Standards. They are the first dairy in India that tests milk for antibiotics at the farm and plant level. Akshayakalpa Organic is also India’s largest buyer of antibiotic strips used for testing for antibiotic residue in milk. The milk also undergoes 22 other quality tests. Automated processes and packaging ensure that the produce is healthy and safe for consumption.
All practices strive to maintain the integrity of our products. For example, they use a microbial culture in the manufacture of the cheese rather than the conventionally used rennet which is derived from animals. A transparent organization, Akshayakalpa invites you to come experience their processes firsthand. Trips to their model farm not only educate but also invoke a sense of community.