[email protected] SEED BALLS A natural, cost effective solution for greening India.

[email protected]

SEED BALLS A natural, cost effective solution for greening India

“Don’t expect anything, just make seed balls, Nature will teach you.”

- Masanobu Fukuoka -Copyright 1996 C. R. Jeavons, courtesy of Jim Bones's Seed Balls.com

Context and motivation

Current state of affairs India has lost 743 sq kms of forest cover between 2005

and 2007 (Source: State of the forest report) Deforestation and land use change accounts for up to 20 %

of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire transportation sector!!

Forests act as a big carbon sink. Almost 11% of India’s carbon emission is absorbed in the forests of Himalayas, Eastern and Western ghats, Central plains and North East.

Problem definition and solution options Loosing forest cover is a double whammy. We loose

carbon sinks and the depleted forest cover will invariably add to increased carbon green house emissions. Flip it and we address two problems. Increasing forest cover means reduced green house gas emissions and increased carbon sinks.

Afforestation options

Conventional process

Seed ball

• Requires expertise in plant nursery management

• Cost prohibitive• Time consuming. High process life cycle

time

• Very simple. Can be done by anybody.• Extremely cost effective. 1/100th the

cost of conventional system• Takes just a fraction of the time as

compared to conventional system

PROJECT PHASES

Fund raising options

• Community participation• Government grants• Funds by corporates• Green tax!

Communication awareness and branding

Approach Engage schools, communities and NGOs Create campaigns on National Television and media on the

lines of Jaagore!!!

The vision is to internalize that the start of monsoon means time for seed ball scattering. It must be made an important event in the nations calendar just like Independence day or Republic day.

Resource mobilization

Scale/Reach Option Comments

Small scale/Large Reach Participation of schools/NGOs

Small scale/Large reach Integration into corporate’s CSR activity

Large scale/Large reach Participation by Farming communities

Farmers can create seed balls. The cost of seed ball making can be paid to farmers, which can help supplement their incomes

Large scale/Small reach Large scale aerial scattering with support from Govt

Seedball creation

Options for seed ball creation Engage NGOs in this space. A community activity in schools/communities/corporates. Large scale creation using mechanized rotary drums.

Can produce up to 40000 seed balls a day using this technique.

Sourcing seeds Local forest departments. Approach seed companies to contribute as part of their

CSR activity. Buy from seed companies.

Seedball scattering

Options for seed ball scattering Communities/NGOs/Schools Collaborate with armed forces to scatter in the typical

vast tracts of land owned by armed forces Scattering by local farmers. Aerial scattering.

Roles and Responsibilities

Stake holders

Role

YI Program ownership and oversight to•Funding mobilization•Communication and branding•Collaboration/Liason with corporates, NGOs, communities and Government•Training•Program ownership

Government • Support in providing directives to state and local administration• Identification of land mass in a scientific way (Satellite imagery

data) for scattering• Providing seeds• Participation in communication campaigns

NGOs Training in seed ball creation. Execution of seed ball creation and scattering

Schools and communities

Execution of seed ball creation and scattering

Corporate Funding, integration of see ball scattering program into CSR

Go forward

Review and baseline the program plan Identify the tracks/projects Project staffing Baseline program schedule

Thank You

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