JOY Vermiculture
Jaya Organic Yojana
Challenge
In the past 30 years, the overuse of chemical fertilizers – along with a reliance on monocrops and artificial pesticides – has reduced soil fertility by 50% in Southern India. Furthermore, the production of chemical fertilizers requires high inputs of fossil fuels, and the application of chemical fertilizers accounts for up to 80% of human-related emissions of nitrous oxide.
Solution
Born from a grassroots movement to restore soil fertility in Karnataka, India, Jaya Organic Yojana (JOY) is a nonprofit organization that trains smallholder farmers in the production of organic compost through vermiculture, a composting process using agro waste and earthworms to make nutrient-rich fertilizer. Since its inception in 2014, JOY has launched over 3,350 vermicompost micro businesses, which collectively produce over 30,000 tons of organic fertilizer annually.
