How Pickles Empower Rural Women? A Glimpse into the FarmDidi Model

Amid the fields and homes of rural India, change is simmering gently, spiced with the familiar scents of mango, lemon, and red chilli. For generations, Indian women have mastered the art of pickle making, preserving recipes handed down through generations by mothers and grandmothers.

But what if this traditional skill could become a means of financial independence and a lever to bring radical growth of the economy?

Our thesis at FarmDidi is a fact that when a rural woman earns, not just an individual but a whole family flourishes. The day we empower 1 million rural women through our model, we would take a step forward to help our mother nation too.

• Approximately, 65% of the women in India belong to rural India, who are skilled with cooking and wish to earn a living for themselves and their families.
• Rural women produce around 60% - 80% of India’s food.
• When a rural woman earns, she brings a multiplier effect on reducing poverty by reinvesting 90% of their earnings into their families and communities.

By helping rural women become food processing entrepreneurs, we are not just creating delicious pickles, we are creating a change. This is a glimpse into how a humble pickle business is transforming lives and empowering the women community.

 Data Source - Oxfam

 Data Source - World Bank

How FarmDidi Turns Homemade Pickles Into A Source of Income?

FarmDidi is a UNDP awarded, Shark Tank Featured Startup, which is currently #1 pickle brand on Amazon and is growing rapidly. We have impacted 600+ didis through our company. Our model is simple yet a powerful one where we recognize the commendable potential and guide rural women in following ways.

• Skill Training: We provide comprehensive training on hygiene, food safety guidelines, packaging, and scaling up the traditional recipes to our didis. We provide them with ingredients and business knowhows. They then use their potential to curate homemade and authentic pickles.
• Micro-entrepreneurship: FarmDidi provides a platform for small women entrepreneurs to join hands and create a source of income for them. They can build a small business of pickles by which they can earn their livelihood.
  
• Market Access: We help their products reach urban and digital markets through e-commerce platforms like Swiggy, Zepto, Blinkit, and also Amazon.
  
• Fair Income: We, as a brand, ensure that the women who are joined with us get fair income through their business with us.

Real-life Impacts Created On Ground Level

We feel blessed that we could ignite hopes in the lives of our didis, hopes that they could live a life which is no less than anyone. When we listen to their stories, we feel a sense of contentment that we could add value to someone's life.

When one of our Didis, Manisha, shared with us that because of her earnings she could afford to enrol the name of her son in a reputed school in Maharashtra, it gave us a feeling of immense happiness. She is also awarded with awards like Ahilya Devi Holkar Award, Grav Gaurav Award, just to name a few.

Shanti Didi, whom we refer to as 'Ajji' out of love, is one of our senior-most didis. She pays her own medical bills, and the rest is accumulated as her savings. To younger children, she advises: Learn, Understand, and Take Responsibility.

Difference In The Lives Of Our Didis Before And After FarmDidi.

• Earlier, rural women faced financial insecurity and lack of savings. After joining FarmDidi, they say, they earned enough to support their family and also systematise some savings.
• Didis were sidelined by their own family members as they did not work. After they started working and making money, they felt as a respectable member of their family.
• When they got their own income, women’s dependence on their male family members reduced to a great extent. They could afford their own expenses independently as well as plan a better future for their kids.
• Women in rural areas worked on self-owned small businesses but lacked exposure to the modern market. We, as a brand, give these products a platform to reach the urban markets.
• Earlier, women who had no self-owned assets, are now investing in gold, electronic items such as mobile phones.

Conclusion

At FarmDidi, we aim to promote the food business and take along rural women to be a part of the growth. Our model has the potential to take the nation forward and be a game changer in India's growth.

The journey of our didis reminds us that true progress is not measured by profits alone, but by the number of lives touched, dreams fulfilled, and barriers broken. We think 1 million is a long journey, but we are happy to be loved by more than 4 lakh customers today. Their continued support will help us grow and scale our impact holistically in India.