India’s agricultural sector stands at a pivotal moment where enhancing productivity must go hand in hand with preserving natural resources and strengthening farmer resilience. With this vision, AWL Agri Business Limited, through its CSR programme, has partnered with the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), Solidaridad Network Asia Limited and Bharatkhand Foundation to launch Sarson Sankalp, a five-year initiative dedicated to advancing regenerative mustard farming across the districts of Bundi, Tonk and Jhalawar in Rajasthan.

Formalized through an MoU signed during the SEA Annual General Meeting and Annual Awards Function in Mumbai, Sarson Sankalp reflects a collective commitment to supporting farmers while promoting more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. The programme aims to create meaningful changes at the grassroots level by placing farmers, soil health and long-term agricultural sustainability at the centre of mustard cultivation.

Supported with a total programme investment of ₹16 crore, the initiative will commence in FY 2026-27 with an indicative target of reaching 15,000 active farmers and progressively expand to 40,000 farmers by FY 2030-31. The programme is designed to help farmers adopt practical and locally relevant regenerative agriculture practices that improve productivity while enhancing the ecological health of farming landscapes.

What sets Sarson Sankalp apart is its integrated approach. Rather than focusing on isolated interventions, the programme seeks to build a comprehensive support ecosystem for farmers through capacity building, demonstration farms, technical guidance, field-level extension support, soil and crop advisory services, farmer record management and robust monitoring systems. By combining knowledge dissemination with practical field demonstrations, the initiative aims to help farmers make informed decisions based on real-world evidence and visible results.

A significant component of the programme will be the establishment of model and demonstration farms that will function as learning centres within local communities. These sites will enable farmers to observe regenerative practices in action, understand their benefits firsthand and gain confidence in adopting improved methods on their own farms. Through continuous engagement and handholding support, the programme seeks to create lasting behavioural changes that contributes to healthier soils, more efficient use of natural resources and improved farm performance.

Sarson Sankalp will promote interventions focused on improving soil health and crop nutrition, optimizing the use of water and agricultural inputs, strengthening the resilience of mustard-based farming systems to climate-related challenges and encouraging practices that support biodiversity and ecological balance. The initiative will also provide locally tailored advisory services and strengthen agricultural extension mechanisms to ensure that farmers have access to relevant knowledge and guidance throughout the crop cycle. Importantly, the programme will place strong emphasis on monitoring and measuring farm-level outcomes, enabling evidence-based learning and future scaling of successful approaches.

The collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of all four partners. AWL Agri Business Limited will support the initiative through its CSR programme, while SEA will facilitate programme coordination and qualitative monitoring. Solidaridad will contribute its expertise in regenerative agriculture, programme guidance, quality assurance and knowledge support, and Bharatkhand Foundation will lead field-level implementation, ensuring effective execution and farmer engagement on the ground.

Speaking about the initiative, Angshu Mallick, Executive Deputy Chairman of AWL Agri Business Limited, highlighted the company’s commitment to investing in farmers, healthier soils and resilient agricultural communities. He noted that Sarson Sankalp provides a long-term platform to demonstrate practical regenerative solutions and assess their impact on farm-level outcomes. Sanjeev Asthana, President of SEA (2024-26), emphasized that the programme showcases how the edible oil industry can support farming communities through structured CSR initiatives that combine scale, accountability and measurable outcomes while also contributing to India’s aspirations for greater oilseed self-reliance.

Dr. B. V. Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, underscored the programme’s integrated design, which brings together farmer outreach, demonstration farms, regenerative practices, advisory support and performance measurement within a single implementation framework. Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay, Managing Director of Solidaridad Network Asia Limited, highlighted the importance of providing farmers with practical support, locally relevant knowledge and continuous engagement to translate better practices into measurable improvements in soil health, resource efficiency, resilience and farmer well-being. Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Suresh Motwani, General Manager, Solidaridad and Coordinator of the SEA-Solidaridad Sustainable Oilseed Mission, emphasized the programme’s focus on making regenerative mustard cultivation meaningful at the farm level by improving soil health, productivity, resilience and farmers’ ability to manage future climate and production risks.

As India continues to seek sustainable pathways for agricultural growth, Sarson Sankalp aims to demonstrate that regenerative mustard farming can be practical, measurable and scalable. By strengthening soils, improving resource efficiency, supporting climate resilience and empowering farmers with knowledge and field-level support, the initiative seeks to create lasting value for farming communities while contributing to a more sustainable future for India’s oilseed sector. Through this partnership, AWL Agri Business Limited reaffirms its commitment to supporting transformative agricultural development that benefits farmers, communities and the environment alike.