The main theme of the BIOFACH 2020 Congress is “Organic delivers!” through the positive influence of ecological farming methods. After 30 years, from modest beginnings, the Timbaktu Collective has become a best practice example that spreads into many branches of a satisfying rural life with future perspectives in many ways. This interview deals with the positive effects of organic for common goods.
Bablu Ganguly, co-founder of the Timbaktu Collective, can you please explain the mental and strategic roots of the success model?
First, I must tell you that when we started the Collective, we had no blue print and no strategic plans. Mentally we knew that if we wanted to make change happen, we had to be ready for a marathon – meanwhile the world kept changing and we had to keep changing our strategies, the kind of projects we took up.
“We started with trying to regenerate and heal a piece of barren land and today we have ended up trying to help regenerate and revitalize the local economy and re-invent, in a way, the Cooperative movement. Resist, Revive, Restore and Re-vitalize has become our theme.”
Whatever success we have been able to have, is only because of the concept of Sangha. That is a kind of informal association of the people participating from a village. The Sangha is the core of all our work. When we talk about our work with women, with people with disabilities, with farmers, with the landless agricultural laborers and even the children and youth – all are organized into Sanghas. All Sanghas meet at least once a month. These Sanghas are federated into legally registered cooperatives with shareholders and elected directors, etc. Therefore, the strategy has been to organize the people at the village level and to federate all these and form cooperatives. It is through these cooperatives that the Collective takes up programs and moves towards transparency and democratic co-determination.
The Timbaktu model fits very well into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Do you feel it is necessary to multiply those ideas to spread them over the globe in times of climate crisis and negative impacts of agro-industry?
Absolutely! I do not think we are doing anything that is not possible to emulate in any part of the world. Our work on ecology or agriculture, our work with women, people with disabilities, agricultural laborers, with children and youth are all common sense work and all of them have to do with human dignity, solidarity and social justice. This comes through revitalization of the local economy, ecological restoration that leads to mitigation of the effects of climate change, environmental sustainability, transparency and democratic co-determination in all aspects of development and business – basically all leading to a good life.
What is the key element that could be realized in the first step?
The idea is to build relationships and social capital. Strong, cordial, cooperative, honest and respectful relationships. This is the core and key element according to me. This is also part of the thinking in the organic movement worldwide. We have, I believe, over three decades, built the social capital in this area so that our projects can work and the people can own them. This is not easy and needs to be built slowly and steadily. We all need to learn to trust and respect each other and then the rest will follow.
Often, organic production of goods is not the greatest challenge when compared to establishing a stable market for the produce. How are you managing this?
I agree this is the key. Engaging with the market is another essential element. However, the poorer and marginalized people need to engage with the market from a position of strength. Not just numbers but also with some amount of capital. The field out there is not level and we need to help level it. We were able to do this because of the strong support we received from organizations like the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Mumbai and BfW, Berlin and many friends and individuals, who believe that another world is possible, that another economics are possible. No, not just possible, but extremely important.
On the other hand, the consumers are becoming more and more aware that something is wrong. The food that they eat is not particularly tasty or healthy. They are looking for food that is genuinely good, fair and healthy. Over the years the Timbaktu Organic brand has built this trust and the story backing it is true and good.
You are also board member of IFOAM Organics International, the global umbrella organization of the organic movement. How do you estimate the prospects for organic agriculture combined with the ideals of common goods economy or is it even time for a breakthrough of organic agriculture and common goods economy?
Yes, I am a board member of IFOAM – Organics International. This has given me the opportunity to travel and meet many people from across the world. Wherever I go, be it India or abroad, the people want good food. Yet not everybody wants to pay the premium that organic demands. And, this is where the ideal of common goods economy comes in. Consumers should understand that their local farmers also want to live a good life, and farmers must understand that they are producers of food that the local consumers depend on and so they should produce good food. All should understand the four principles that define organic – Health, Ecology, Fairness, and Care lead to revitalization of the local economy, environmental sustainability, human dignity, solidarity, social justice, transparency and democratic co-determination. This is also the meaning of true cost accounting.
Moreover, this is not related just to organic but to all goods that we produce and exchange. The principles are the same. And that, only that, will lead us to live a good life. A life that is generous, caring and wholesome.
The interview was conducted by Karin Heinze, BiO reporter International
Original source: BIOFACH Newsroom
