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Social Behaviour Change (SBC) can be pivotal for achieving sustainable and holistic change in the ways we produce, process, and consume food. Going beyond conventional agricultural approaches, SBC acknowledges that successful and enduring transformation necessitates not only altering farming practices but also understanding and influencing the behaviour of individuals and communities involved.

Understanding the importance of SBC for driving change at the individual and community level, GIZ India organised a training with its partners on ‘Social Behaviour Change for Agroecology Transformation for Change Agents’ in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.

Conducted in partnership with Manav Vikas Seva Sangh (MVSS), Abhyuday Sansthan, SRIJAN (Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action) and Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), the workshop provided valuable insights, practical tools, and real-world case studies.

Usha Patel, a champion farmer from Ghughara village in Sagar district, emphasised the importance of starting with a change in her body language before she can bring about change in the community or village. She advocates for practicing her approaches to instill belief among people and to encourage them to adopt these practices.

Participants delved into the concept and principles of agroecology, a holistic approach to agriculture that optimises interactions for sustainability and ecological balance. During the workshop, it was explored how influencing individual and community behaviours can revolutionise agricultural production.

“This training has been incredibly valuable for us, and we’re eager to put it into practice and share the knowledge with field workers. The behaviour change training will prove immensely beneficial for our work,” said Suraj Trivedi, a lead farmer from Mada village, Chhatarpur district.

Key takeaways from the training are:

• Holistic transformation begins with stakeholder understanding: Recognising the pivotal role of understanding stakeholders for a comprehensive and transformative approach in agriculture.
• Mindset matters: Acknowledging that true change starts in the minds of individuals. A shift in mindset is the key to initiating and sustaining transformative practices in agriculture.
• Collaborative power for agroecological success: Embracing the collective strength of collaboration. Together, we can achieve agroecological transformation by combining efforts, insights, and actions.
• These conversations are in line with GIZ India’s dedication to promoting agroecology and the responsible stewardship of natural resources. These aspects form integral parts of both the Indo-German Lighthouse Initiative on Agroecology and Natural Resource Use and the Green Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP) established between India and Germany.
• The training was held under the Indo-German Technical Project ‘Support to Agroecological Transformation Processes in India’ (SuATI), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is implemented by GIZ India in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). SuATI is focused on the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.

Link to Further Materials
Learn more about the SuATI project: https://tinyurl.com/yc2569y7

Contact Person
Subuhi Parvez