New Delhi, 15th March 2024: Roots Foundation has been honored under the ‘Reaching the Unreached’ category at the INDIAdonates Annual CSR Meet 2024, the Synergy and Sustainability Symposium III. The prestigious award acknowledges Roots Foundation’s commitment to extending agricultural support to the most remote regions across 15+ States in India, reaching over 10,00,000 farmers, and promoting good agricultural practices.

Focused on long-term impact and continuity, Roots Foundation’s Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives have played a pivotal role in implementing sustainable practices through initiatives like Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), Crop Residue Management (CRM), Farmer Field Schools, and providing machinery assistance. The efforts have empowered farmers with knowledge and skills for cutting-edge, sustainable approaches, resulting in enhanced yield and conservation of resources.

The DSR program, impacting more than 10 lakh farmers across 10 states, has not only saved a significant 1,125 million liters of water but also integrated over 2,000 women into modern agriculture practices. The CRM Initiative has reached 50,000 farmers, saving 5,00,000 acres from burning in farmlands of Punjab and Haryana. Project Sahyog focuses on agro-chemical awareness amongst farmers, has built capacity for 5,000 farmers, has provided 226 farmers with Boom sprayers, turning them into entrepreneurs, and has enhanced overall soil and environmental quality in Punjab and Haryana.

Beyond the Agriculture initiatives, Roots Foundation’s concepts of School Sports Program (SSP) and Innovative Learning Centres (ILCs) are much acknowledged. Strategically designed to tackle the development of sports skills in students, the SSP program has enhanced the physical fitness and sports skills of 5,000 school-going students across 40 government schools in Punjab and Haryana. The ILCs have also elevated the learning levels of 300-450 children enrolled in these standards across six schools in Mandya, Karnataka, with a primary focus on improving proficiency in Language and Math through targeted interventions throughout the academic year.

With an overarching theme of Inclusive Sustainability, INDIA donates’ Annual CSR Meet 2024 brought together individuals and organizations capable of driving significant societal change, particularly at the grassroots level. Organisations like Spark Minda Foundation, Corbett Foundation, Gramya Vikash Mancha (GVM), Torchit etc were also felicitated by INDIAdonates during this event.

The recognition from INDIA donates highlights Roots Foundation’s commitment to work in synergy with the grassroots communities for sustainable rural development– this acknowledgment will further its mission to create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of farmers and rural communities.