DRIVING IMPACT THROUGH REGENERATIVE ORGANIC COTTON RESEARCH COLLABORATION

Introduction

India’s agriculture sector, largely dependent on conventional practices and genetically modified crops like Bt cotton, has witnessed serious ecological, economic, and social challenges. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, monocropping, and separation of livestock from crop systems have led to degraded soil, falling water tables, and distressed rural livelihoods. Smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Indian agriculture, often struggle with poor access to quality inputs, low productivity, and climate vulnerability. To reverse this crisis and reimagine Indian farming, a transformative approach is essential. The establishment of a dedicated Regenerative Organic Research and Training Institute at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (UASD), marks a bold step toward creating sustainable solutions that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and farmer well-being.

Objectives

Pioneer scientific and farmer-led research in regenerative organic agriculture in India. 
Develop and promote farming practices that are, ecologically sustainable and economically viable.  
Create evidence-based, location-specific packages of practices to enhance farm and habitat level biodiversity, improve soil health and strengthen farm resilience 
Conduct long-term trials and continuous monitoring to assess, performance of crop yields, farmers’ income levels and environmental impact against applicable parameters.  
Establish model Regenerative Organic Farms that apply ecological practices to serve as practical demonstrations of regenerative organic farming benefits for smallholder farmers.  
Build capacity among smallholder farmers, with a special emphasis on training and empowering women. 
Facilitate subsidiary income-generating occupations that complement regenerative agriculture practices. 

Our Approach

The proposed program adopts a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach that integrates formal science, indigenous knowledge and practical field experience. It will test and demonstrate viable, sustainable farming practices and indigenous traditional knowledge (ITKs) among smallholders, while implementing efficient water conservation models to improve resilience against drought. The program aims to build strong multi-institutional collaborations among Institute of Organic Farming (IOF), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and Gallant Regenerative Organic Private Limited (GROPL), Gallant International’s Indian affiliate, with strategic knowledge support from Rodale Institute, USA for joint research, training, and technology development in regenerative organic agriculture. The focus is on addressing current agricultural challenges through research in regenerative organic practices such as crop diversification, reduced tillage and soil organic matter management, with the goal of improving sustainability, carbon sequestration, and long-term farm profitability compared to conventional methods. Research will be carried out both on institutional farms and with selected smallholder farmers to ensure real-world relevance. It will involve the development of non-GMO, high-performing cotton hybrids; model regenerative farms; and on-farm input production units. The center emphasizes the use of natural resources for pest control, fertility management and water conservation. Demonstration farms and multi-locational training centers will serve as living classrooms for promoting scalable regenerative organic solutions.

Collaborators / Partnerships

The initiative is a collaboration involving Gallant International Inc. (USA), the Rodale Institute (USA) as a knowledge partner, and Gallant Regenerative Organic Private Limited (GROPL), Gallant International’s Indian affiliate, as the implementing agency. GROPL has entered into a long-term partnership with University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, a pioneering Indian agricultural university with a rich legacy in organic farming research. University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad was the first Indian university to begin an extensive organic program in 2003, and it established the Institute of Organic Farming in 2006. Its facilities include a certified 42-acre organic model farm and multidisciplinary research teams from eight scientific disciplines working on organic and regenerative trials, making it the ideal host for this cutting-edge initiative.

Expected Outcomes / Impact

Promote sustained crop productivity, increased farmer income, climate-resilient agro-ecological systems, and self-reliance of farm families—  ensuring health, safety, and secure livelihoods by improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and building climate resilience in smallholder farming systems.
Support farmers in transitioning agri-food-fibre systems away from chemical-intensive practices by adopting agro-ecological models developed by scientists. 
Integrate rich local and traditional knowledge to develop sustainable agricultural systems tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers. 
Implement climate-smart farming practices that promote biomass accumulation, improve soil health, prevent erosion, and restore and maintain soil fertility—especially for farmers in the arid regions of Karnataka. 
Strengthen the technical and economic viability of model farms, enabling their replication and scaling across the farming community. Disseminate proven regenerative practices and models as blueprints for sustainable cotton cultivation across India. 
Utilize pilot plots at research stations and farmer fields as demonstration units to facilitate technology transfer and train thousands of farmers— with a special emphasis on empowering women through targeted capacity-building initiatives. 

    
    Timeline
    
    Timeline
    
                Sl No
                Intervention / Impact Area
                Monitoring Timeline
                Expected Measurable Outcomes
            
                1
                Promote sustained crop productivity, increased farmer income, climate-resilient agro-ecological systems and self-reliance of farm families by improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity and building resilience.
                Year 1–5
                
                    Improvement in yield and soil organic carbon
Increased reliance on on-farm inputs
Increase in net income per acre
Increased investment in diversification of agriculture

                2
                Support farmers in transitioning agri-food-fibre systems away from chemical-intensive practices by adopting agro-ecological models developed by scientists.
                Year 1–4
                
                    No. of farmers adopting standard agro-ecological models
% reduction in chemical fertilizer and pesticide use
Improvement in input cost-to-output ratio

                3
                Integrate rich local and traditional knowledge to develop sustainable agricultural systems tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers.
                Year 1–3 (with continuous refinement)
                
                    No. of traditional practices revived/adapted
% of farmers using ITK-based solutions
Documentation and dissemination of validated knowledge

                4
                Implement climate-smart farming practices that promote biomass accumulation, improve soil health, prevent erosion and restore and maintain soil fertility, especially for arid regions.
                Year 1–5
                
                    Increase in vegetative cover and biomass
Reduced soil erosion levels
% improvement in soil fertility parameters (e.g., nitrogen, carbon)

                5
                Strengthen the technical and economic viability of model farms for replication and scaling; disseminate proven regenerative practices.
                Year 2–5
                
                    No. of model farms established
Comparative cost-benefit analysis data
No. of farmers replicating practices
Region-specific PoPs developed and disseminated

                6
                Utilize pilot plots at research stations and farmer fields as demonstration units to facilitate technology transfer and farmer training, with focus on women's empowerment.
                Year 1–5
                
                    No. of demo plots established
No. of farmers trained (gender-disaggregated)
% of trained women adopting practices
Improved women participation in decision-making

DR AMOL NIRBAN, COO, GROPL SIGNING THE MOU WITH HON. VICE CHANCELLOR, UAS, DHARWAD

GALLANT OFFICIALS WITH OFFICIALS AT INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC FARMING, UAS, DHARWAD

VISIT TO EXISTING ORGANIC RESEARCH FARMS AT IOF, UAS, DHARWAD

VISITS TO IDENTIFY THE FARMERS FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH TRIALS

GALLANT-UASD JOINT REVIEW MEETING TO FINALIZE THE STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA

LAUNCH EVENT OF GALLANT-UASD REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER