Embracing Green Growth: Avashya Foundation’s Maitree Initiative Advocates for Sustainable Farming and Environmental Conservation through CSR
The Avashya Foundation, the CSR arm of Allcargo Group, is hosting its annual Mango Festival as part of its Maitree initiative. The festival is organized on the 18th and 19th of May 2023 at Allcargo headquarters in Mumbai. This marks Allcargo’s fifth year of celebrating the exquisite flavor, enticing fragrance, and delectable taste of the king of fruits. The annual Mango Festival has been instrumental in promoting sustainable growth and development in the tribal regions of Maharashtra.
Over 850,000 fruit-bearing saplings for Sustainable Farming
Maitree, working to replenish the green cover of our planet, has so far facilitated the planting of over 850,000 fruit-bearing saplings, and aims to plant 1 million saplings by the end of this year. Maitree empowers local farmers by providing them with seedlings of mango, guava, cashew, lemon, and teak. The planting drive has led to significant improvements in productivity and the living standards of the farmers.
Benefiting 90,000 people
Dr. Nilratan Shende, CSR Head at Allcargo Group, said, “Through Maitree, we have been able to touch the lives of over 90,000 people, providing them with not just sustainable livelihoods but also a sense of empowerment and self-reliance. Seeing our farmers prosper and the environment flourishes – that’s the true success of Maitree. And the Mango Festival is a celebration of this spirit of growth and resilience.”
Building resilience
For many of the farmers, Maitree provided them with a platform for empowerment and building resilience. Unable to sustain farming due to various factors including climate change, high cost of seed and fertiliser, lack of scientific knowledge, inflation, and reduced income on their produce, they faced a loss of livelihood and were forced to migrate to urban areas to make ends meet. With Maitree, they are now aware of seasonal variations, climate change risks, soil and water conservation. As a part of the initiative, farmers are also being educated on setting up nurseries and cultivating high-quality crops.
Mango Festival in Maharashtra
The mango trees are a symbol of hope for the future of the tribal regions of Maharashtra. They are providing a much-needed source of income and food, and they are also helping to improve the environment. The Mango Festival is a testament to the initiative’s success, celebrating the bountiful produce of their sustainable farming. It provides a platform for over 18,000 farmers to showcase and sell their produce, encouraging a thriving farming community.
The higher survival rate of the mango trees
The survival rate of the mango trees planted by the Avashya Foundation in the tribal regions of Raigad and Palghar in Maharashtra is 80-90%. This is a very high survival rate, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the foundation and the farmers. The mango trees are providing a much-needed source of income and food for the farmers, and they are also helping to improve the environment by providing shade and reducing soil erosion.
Avashya Foundation is the CSR division of Allcargo Logistics Ltd and Allcargo Group of companies. It has been tirelessly working in education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, under the able leadership of Aarthi Shetty, Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of the CSR Committee. Avashya Foundation has implemented flagship projects in education, environment, and healthcare such as Disha, Jeevan – coping with Cancer, and Maitree that effectively work to uplift underprivileged communities.
