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Expert Director, Sahaja Aharam Producer Company

Educational Background:

• Ph.D in Agriculture from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
• M.Sc (Ag) from Agriculture College, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University (Now Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University)
• B.Sc (Ag) from Agriculture College, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University (Now Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University)

Earlier selections and work experience

1995: Indian Revenue Service (IRS)

1996: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at Directorate of Oilseeds Research now Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research till 2004

Contacts: 09000699702, ramoo@csa-india.org, http://www.ramoo.in

Focus of work

1. Working on public policy issues impacting on food systems and farmers livelihoods and a framework to ensure income security for farmers
2. Working with farmers in AP, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, and North Eastern States in establishing ecologically and economically sustainable agriculture models and Farmer Producer Organisations
3. Building a Farmer to Consumer marketing System ‘Sahaja Aharam’ linking farmer collectives directly to consumers.
4. Working on building Farmer Producer Organisations and community enterprises. Currently CSA is promoting over 70 FPOs in AP and Telangana in partnership with NABARD, SFAC and NCDC.
5. Working on Open Source Seed systems
6. Working as a resource organisation supporting the programs of state and central governments. Currently working Government of Andhra Pradesh in promoting natural farming, with Society for Elimination of Poverty, Telangana, with Maharashtra State Livelihoods Mission, North East Rural Livelihoods Project in building the capacities of the staff and organisation involved in the program.
7. Working with NABARD in supporting establishment and strengthening of over 150 farmer producer organisations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
8. Initiated ‘Kisan Mitra’ to improve last mile delivery of all support services and there governance. It works as a farmer service centre and a coordinating call centre
9. Started ‘Grameen Academy’ which runs regular courses on Agroecological approaches, farmer producer organisations and Rural business enterprises, public policy for agriculture
10. Designed and set up eKrishi (http://www.ekrishi.in) an integrated cloud based platform for supporting farming and agricultural supply chain management and Farmer Producer Organisations.

Awards

• Won Best FPO enabler award in the FPO summit organised by Samunnati and Economic Times
• 1st TV9 Nava Nakshatra Sanmanam Life Time Achievement Award 2019
• 3rd Badshah Khan Memorial Award by ITM University, Gwalior -2019
• Rytunestham Lifetime Achievement Award-2019
• Won best rural innovation award in Maharashtra Rural Innovation Award in 2014 for ‘Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture’
• Won best rural innovation award in Bihar Rural Innovation Award in 2014 for ‘Non Pesticidal Management’
• Won World Bank Development Market Place Award in 2005

Others

• Author of several books and articles on sustainable agriculture and public policy
  CSA work featured in 8th Episode of Satyamev Jayate ‘Toxic food’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbc5K9EpTQw
• 5 times TEDx Speaker
  • Poison on Plate #TEDxHyderabad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64RLBgD-Cck over a million views
  • How you can help ensure a secure income for farmers? #TEDxCBIT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyBYf60BzlE
  • Caring for those who feed the nation #TEDxNavlakha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tIOnw38RCA
  • Zero Farmers Suicides-Lets make it happen #TEDxHyderabad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFpnJNlcsB0
  • What is wrong with our food #TEDxSCETW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgPsIZ6jROA
• Produced a feature film ‘Mitti-back to roots’ on Agrarian Crisis and way forward based on real life experiences across the country http://www.mitti-thefilm.org