Sstudents participated in business plan and technology innovation contests
The Future Agriculture Leaders of India (FALI) Program recently concluded its 8th Convention at Jain Hills in Jalgaon. In its eighth year, FALI has established itself as a unique, high impact programme that makes agriculture attractive for the next generation by providing interactive learning, field visits, business plan contests, and exposure to cutting-edge agriculture and agribusiness. In the last academic year, FALI provided its programme to over 11,000 (eighth and ninth standard) students across 135 government-aided rural schools in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The number of FALI alums today totals 25,000, most pursuing higher education in science and agriculture and positioned to be future leaders of Indian agriculture.
In its first eight years, FALI has received strong support from several leading agribusinesses in India: Godrej Agrovet, Jain Irrigation, UPL, Bayer and StarAgri. At the FALI Convention, these companies participated along with leaders of over ten other agribusinesses and banks interested in supporting FALI 9 and beyond. These companies concur that the results of FALI have shifted the attitudes of students and their parents, who before saw subsistence farming as an unattractive career for their children. FALI students have taken home modern agriculture practices and with FALI, parents see modern, sustainable agriculture and agro-enterprise as a promising path for their children.
Over the next ten years, FALI is expected to increase the number of students and schools by 25 per cent a year in Maharashtra and Gujarat, adding Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At this rate, FALI would have backed the creation of over 2,50,000 future leaders of Indian agriculture in the next few years. The Board in its recent AGM also agreed on programmes for FALI alums, internships, scholarships and seed funding for FALI alumni ventures.
Commenting on the Board’s decision to expand the initiative’s reach, Nadir B Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Agrovet, and Chair of the Association for FALI, said, “Despite registering impressive growth by the sector, agriculture in India is losing its sheen with the next generation. We need to overcome economic, social, and psychological barriers jointly. FALI’s efforts have steered over 11,000 students towards modern and sustainable agriculture in the last eight years. Today, as the Chair of the Association for FALI, I am delighted to announce our plans to expand the footprint of this innovative programme to three more states of India. It aligns with our commitment to promote sustainable agriculture and agro-entrepreneurship among the next generation.”
At the FALI 8 Convention over 800 of the top FALI students participated in business plan and technology innovation contests which were judged by senior managers of companies which do or plan to support FALI.
