Established in 2020 by Major Ajit Singh (Retd.), ABANI is a Meghalaya-based initiative advocating for local ingredients and products from the state. As an initiative under Anant Learning and Development—a company focusing on generating livelihoods through agriculture—ABANI has organised around 22,000 farmers in Meghalaya into producer groups. Their current range of products includes spices such as Lakadong turmeric; jackfruit-based items like chips, noodles, and seed powder; and wild honey. They also retail wood-smoked pork through pre-orders on Instagram, and at local cafes.
ABANI, which means ‘of the farm’ in Garo, is financially supported by Anant Learning and Development along with the state government of Meghalaya. Since its establishment, ABANI has been mobilising farmers across the Garo Hills, Khasi Hills, and the Marngar tribe village into small farmer producer groups, helping them turn their produce into value-added products and establishing market linkages. Typically, farmers are paid an almost negligible amount for their produce, be it spices, fruits or vegetables. ABANI, however, ensures that the farmers receive a fair price for all their produce by sourcing directly from them and hence eliminating middlemen. They’ve also established a strict ‘no-negotiation’ policy.
Apart from their three-acre farm in Marngar where they grow some produce and dry spices, ABANI has also set up a 6,000 square feet processing unit. Located in the Garo Hills in Gulpani Nokat—one of the remotest villages in the world—the unit is where they make jackfruit products. Here, they also conduct research and development for other products such as Lakadong turmeric latte, gundruk, and tapioca powder.
The Locavore Bite
TL Bite offers a glimpse into how a partner producer runs their operations, and reflects their core principles and values. The idea is to provide insights into their practices and highlight their positive efforts descriptively. We have identified seven key areas of assessment – origin and source of ingredients, composition and integrity of the products, workforce policies, production practices, community-related initiatives, approach towards preserving or celebrating traditional knowledge and the materials used in packaging. While this assessment may not be entirely comprehensive, we hope it helps you make an informed decision about why you might want to support them, and the ways in which to do so.
The information below offers you a snapshot of where ABANI stands on these parameters. We have put this together based on several rounds of conversations with Ajit. Click on a piece of the pie below to find out more.
Why We Love ABANI
A women-run jackfruit processing unit: Typically, farmers in the Garo Hills would discard jackfruit instead of selling it. ABANI established the processing unit in the region to address this issue. Moreover, the processing unit is run entirely by women and generates non-agricultural livelihoods for the local community, including logistics, operations, branding, and marketing. The unit is designed to withstand flooding with stilts, and also serves as a community hall and disaster shelter. The Meghalaya government plans to replicate this model with three more prime hubs across the state.
Close relationship with the local community: ABANI created a cooperative of young people who work on the farm. ABANI is also involved in district-level activities such as running computer labs, organising food stalls or live counters at government-organised events, and celebrating local festivals. Additionally, they are working on organising a football tournament for farmers through which they encourage farmers to establish community-owned seed banks, and, in turn, preserve native seeds.
Growing produce sustainably on their farm: On ABANI’s three-acre farm in Marngar village, the local community—which largely consists of the Marngar tribe—grows black turmeric, cassia, and other spices, without any chemical inputs. The farm acts as a hub for most activities at ABANI, including research and development initiatives. They have also established a solar dryer to dry spices, and low-cost water filters for sustainable cultivation.
How do you mobilise farmers in Meghalaya into producer groups? Why is it important for farmers to work together?
We have been working in Meghalaya since 2020, in partnership with the state government and the farming community. The idea behind this project was to identify high-value products, mobilise farmers into small producer groups, provide them with training, and establish market linkages. We mobilise farmers by establishing dedicated field teams in the allotted area of responsibility. Each farmer group has a president, a secretary, and a dedicated bank account. Since the commencement of the project, we have mobilised around 20,000 farmers.
—Major Ajit Singh (Retd.), founder of ABANI
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If you would like to learn more about ABANI, or try their products, check out their website. If you’re interested in supporting them in other ways, please contact us at connect@thelocavore.in.
This is a paid partnership with ABANI. At The Locavore, we strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
