JOY Earth Project
Jaya Organic Yojana
Challenge
Over the past 30 years, the overuse of chemical fertilizers, monocropping, and synthetic pesticides has reduced soil fertility by up to 50% in Southern India. In Karnataka, where 68% of the population depends on agriculture and most women work in farming, declining soil health has increased costs and reduced productivity for smallholder farmers.
Chemical fertilizers also require fossil fuels to produce and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Restoring soil fertility is essential to improving farmer livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience.
Solution
Jaya Organic Yojana (JOY) is a community-based nonprofit in Karnataka that trains smallholder farmers—primarily women—to restore soil fertility through vermiculture, the production of organic fertilizer using agricultural waste and earthworms. This approach improves soil health, reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers, and enables farmers to increase productivity while lowering costs.
The model combines:
- Practical training in vermicompost production
- Support to establish farmer-led microenterprises
- Entrepreneurship training and access to micro-financing
- Connections to local markets to generate income
JOY currently supports over 3,500 farmers and has helped launch more than 3,350 vermicompost microenterprises, producing over 30,000 tons of organic fertilizer annually.
