Vishy and Narayanappa making a presentation on the Karmaveer Chakra Award 2023 perform held at Faridabad, Haryana, on November 27, 2023.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular association
Within the heartlands of Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, Narayanappa, a farmer has not solely reworked his personal livelihood however has additionally develop into a beacon of hope for sustainable agriculture throughout India. His journey, dropped at mild by the Hyderabad-based filmmaker and communication skilled Vishy, lately earned them international recognition on the prestigious Karmaveer Chakra Award and Rex Karmaveer Chakra Fellowship perform held in Faridabad, Haryana.
The Karmaveer Chakra Award is a distinguished international civilian honour offered by the worldwide confederation of NGOs, iCONGO, in collaboration with the United Nations. This accolade is bestowed upon people worldwide to recognise their dedication to positively impacting society.
Narayanappa’s success story revolves across the modern ‘Any Time Cash’ (ATM) mannequin that Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) developed. This mannequin, geared toward bringing younger folks again into farming, has not solely garnered accolades however has additionally demonstrated the potential to revolutionise the whole agricultural panorama of the nation.
Sharing tales
Vishy filming Narayanappa on his iPhone
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular association
Vishy, a seasoned communication skilled and Director of the Communication Useful resource Centre, performed an important function in bringing Narayanappa’s story to the forefront. His dedication to capturing and sharing tales of susceptible communities by video has been evident prior to now three a long time. The assembly between Vishy and Narayanappa throughout one of many neighborhood conferences within the Andhra Pradesh Group-managed Pure Farming (APCNF) programme marked the start of a partnership that might ultimately result in international acclaim.
The ability of storytelling by video turned evident when Vishy, utilizing his iPhone Max, created a compelling narrative of Narayanappa’s journey into pure farming. Regardless of being accustomed to skilled crews, Vishy’s perception within the inspiring nature of Narayanappa’s story prompted him to make use of a extra private strategy. The outcome was a video that highlighted the challenges confronted by smallholder farmers and showcased the transformative potential of pure farming.
Vishy’s encounter with Bruno Dorin, an economist and pure farming proponent in 2022, additional amplified the affect of the video. Bruno supplied precious insights and solutions, emphasising the necessity to articulate financial advantages for a global viewers. The movie was subsequently edited with French subtitles by Bruno’s colleague Oumar Lo from ISRA-BAME, an organisation working in Senegal, making it accessible to a broader international viewers.
The function mannequin
Narayanappa’s Pure Farming Any Time Mannequin (ATM) stands out as an eye-opener, says Vishy, including, “By cultivating 30 various crops in a 30-cent land, together with legumes, cereals, and greens with various harvest occasions, he not solely secured a constant revenue of ₹2 lakh every year but in addition rejuvenated degraded and compacted soils. The mannequin’s success lies in its skill to regenerate soils, save prices on synthetic fertilizers, vitality, and water, and foster biodiversity by cultivating a number of crop species.”
Honouring civilians
The Karmaveer Chakra Award is a distinguished international civilian honour offered by the worldwide confederation of NGOs, iCONGO, in collaboration with the United Nations. This prestigious accolade is bestowed upon people worldwide to recognise their dedication to positively impacting society.
This award pays homage to the legacy of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India , who was the ambassador for the awards.
As a Rex Karmaveer alumni, Vishy championed Narayanappa’s trigger by proposing his title for the awards. He says, “The video was a robust instrument to contextualise Narayanappa’s contribution to meals techniques change and promote the pressing want for a shift in direction of agroecology and regenerative approaches, particularly within the face of local weather change challenges.”
Media affect
Vishy emphasises the pivotal function of consciousness in driving the adoption of pure farming. “With the appearance of social media, platforms like YouTube have develop into instrumental in showcasing the affect of pure farming. Farmers, specifically, have to be satisfied of the constructive outcomes earlier than embracing a brand new strategy. Vishy believes that ‘folks’s movies’ have immense potential to result in behavioural change amongst farmers, making video a potent medium to boost the adoption of pure farming practices in India.
Within the ongoing Convention of the Events (CoP 28), the eighth United Nations Local weather Change Convention in Dubai, there’s a resounding name for a tenfold enhance in annual investments in agroecology and regenerative approaches. Narayanappa’s success story and Vishy’s impactful video function a testomony to the transformative energy of pure farming, inspiring a shift in direction of sustainable agriculture practices and a more healthy, extra resilient future for India’s farming communities.