Sustainable Agriculture
GSMT works with the farming community, especially with small, marginal, single woman farmers and landless by imparting training on various techniques such as Natural farming, LEISA and a better cotton standard system. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices have helped to protect the environment, improve soil fertility, increase the farmer’s income and access to safe and nutritious food for all. Thus, we are addressing the agrarian crisis through ecological and viable farming.
Water Conservation and Management
Day by day water level is depleting due to water-intensive agricultural practices, encroachment on water bodies for development, erratic weather patterns, changing climatic conditions and lack of participation of local governance in water conservation initiatives, which affects the livelihood of the people. Therefore, GSMT has focused on conservation of water bodies and sustainable use of water resources. Through these efforts, GSMT has ensured that the target population have access to sufficient and safe water for purpose of drinking, hygiene and for irrigation. GSMT works in coordination and in partnership with the local governments with focus on sustainable water conservation through watershed development, river basin management and efficient management of water.
Sustainable Forest Management
Yavatmal district has maximum forests but the tribal population living in the forest areas are deprived of their legitimate right to accessing natural resources. The main livelihood of the poor people in the region is agriculture which is largely dry land and rain-fed. A large section of these people, especially tribal, are largely dependent on forest resources and are small and marginal landholders. Yavatmal is rich in natural resources such as forests and minerals but they are either overexploited or misused showing no plans of sustainable use or involving local communities in their protection, conservation and management. After the enactment of Forest Rights Act 2006, Rules 2008, GSMT initiated the process to empower the tribal and forest dwelling community to manage their forest. Organisation has capacitated the tribal community to develop the Conservation and Management Plans of their Forest Areas. The local human resources in the form of Barefoot Technicians have been developed for the execution of the Conservation and Management Plans in a participatory way.