SUMMARY
Through stakeholder interactions, research, and data collection, this project aims to promote ecosystem-based regenerative agriculture and localized food systems. It will develop a toolkit for sustainable materials from agricultural residuals, identify institutional barriers to ecologically friendly agricultural practices, and create a roadmap for localized circular food systems. A publicly accessible digital platform will provide information and strategies for all stakeholders involved. The ultimate goal is to create sustainable agrifood practices that balance biocultural diversity and economic development while providing livelihood opportunities to rural communities.
CHALLENGES
Core Challenges
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How can we design a toolkit that enables farmers in our target communities in Maharashtra to generate effective agricultural sidestreams?
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How can we develop implementable business models that enable Indian industries to transition to bio-based materials and material flows from agricultural residues for sustainable bio packaging products?
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How can we develop opportunities for a supportive institutional ecosystem for transitioning to and upscaling nutrition-positive ecosystem-based agriculture in local communities in Maharashtra?
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How can nutrition-positive agriculture, inspired by sustainable food production and One Health principles, become economically and ecologically viable for local food systems in our target communities?
AIMS
Capacity Building
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Stakeholder consultations with decision-makers
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Curriculum for sustainable and ecological rural livelihood opportunities
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Multilingual platform for adaptive governance and transition to agro-business models of ecosystem-based sustainable agriculture
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Feedback mechanisms to continuously refine the approaches based on real-world experiences and challenges
Innovation
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Assessment of candidate feedstocks for integrating new or novel sidestream concepts into existing chains.
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Stakeholder mapping for establishing a financially viable business model for selected sidestreams and biopackaging
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Life-cycle assessment for evaluating safety, environmental, and socio-economic performances of sidestream end-products
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Digital sidestreams toolkit for sustainable materials for industry stakeholders
Knowledge
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Analysis of critical institutional barriers hampering localized nutritive and ecologically-based agriculture and development of agribusiness opportunities.
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Mapping a circular approach linking sustainable food production to nutrition and One Health
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A digital “Food System Roadmap” offers opportunities for transitioning and upscaling to economically and environmentally viable and nutrition-positive ecosystem-based agriculture in local communities.
Digitization
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Database of sidestream opportunities with incentives for supporting the food system roadmap
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Curriculum resources including success stories and case studies of outputs from target communities with simplified explanatory resources.
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Linkage to financial incentivization and livelihood opportunities that support sustainable development
IMPACT
- Ameesh Khatkar, Shannon B. Olsson, Aditya Parekh. (2023). Sustainability Ambassadors Global Exchange Programme, Bengaluru.
2. A comparative study on the effect of waterlogging and its management in wheat and maize - India versus Denmark.
- Publication in process
Senthamil E, Kiril Manevski, Shannon B. Olsson. (2023). Sustainability Ambassadors Global Exchange Programme, Bengaluru.
- K. Arun Sai Kumar, Rohan Mukerjee, Shannon B. Olsson, (2023). Sustainability Ambassadors Global Exchange Programme, Bengaluru.
4. Stakeholder mapping for watershed management.
- Anirudh KC, Vikas Chandak, Shannon B. Olsson. (2023). Sustainability Ambassadors Global Exchange Programme, Bengaluru.
ABOUT US
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Hans Jørgen Lyngs Jørgensen
Associate Professor, Section for Plant & Soil Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences - University of Copenhagen
Jyoti Krishnakumar
Director: Community Wellbeing Programme - Keystone Foundation
Sudharsan Jayabalan
Associate Professor, Embedded Systems and Robotics, Department of Electronic and Communication Engineering - Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology
Sagar Pandit
Assistant Professor - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune