From subsistence to enterprise.
Meer Foundation's livelihood practice area empowers rural women to lead socio-economic transformation. Through SHGs, FPOs, organic farming training, and 100% women-led governance — moving women from individual subsistence to collective enterprise.
The livelihood practice area
Rural Chhattisgarh's economy runs on smallholder farming — but for decades, women did the work and men held the assets. The livelihood practice area flips that script. By forming SHGs, training women in organic agriculture, and incorporating women-led FPOs, we move women from unpaid labour to recognised enterprise.
Our mission
Move 1 lakh+ rural households from subsistence to enterprise. Empower 12,000+ women farmers through direct market access and collective organisation.
Our approach
Start with savings groups. Layer on training. Aggregate through FPOs. Lock in 100% women-led governance at every level — base, federation, board.
Our impact
1L+ households reached. 860+ SHGs and 35 federations. 3,320+ households crossed ₹2.5L annual income in 2024-25. 18 registered women-led FPOs.
100% women-led. Every SHG, every federation, every FPO under Farmours has a women-led board. This is not a quota — it is the design. When women own the enterprise, the income reaches the children.
Farmours — women-led enterprise
Farmours is Meer Foundation's flagship livelihood initiative. Launched in 2020, it empowers 12,000+ women farmers through direct market access, women-led FPO formation, organic farming training, and 100% women-led governance.
Farmours moves women from individual subsistence to collective enterprise. The model is simple: form SHGs, train in organic agriculture, aggregate through FPOs, sell directly to mandis and processors, and lock governance in women's hands at every level.
“Earlier, I sold my paddy to a middleman for ₹1,200 a quintal. After joining the FPO, we aggregate and sell directly to the mandi at MSP — ₹2,040 a quintal. The difference pays for my daughter's school fees.”
Five strategies, one ladder
Each strategy builds on the one before. SHGs create trust. Agriculture training creates skills. Livestock creates daily income. FPOs create market power. Governance locks it all in women's hands.
Self-Help Groups
10-20 women per group. Weekly savings, internal lending, and peer accountability. SHGs are the base unit of the Farmours model — every other strategy flows from this.
- Weekly savings
- Internal low-interest lending
- Peer-guaranteed loans
- 35 block-level federations
Agriculture & organic farming
Native seed preservation, composting, bio-pesticide preparation, SRI cultivation, crop rotation. Every training is hands-on, in the field, in the local language.
- Native seed banks
- Organic input training
- SRI / SSI cultivation
- Crop-rotation planning
Livestock & allied income
Goatery, poultry, dairy, and fishery. Women typically own and manage these assets, creating a daily income stream separate from seasonal crop sales.
- Goatery modules
- Backyard poultry
- Dairy co-operatives
- Fishery in restored rivers
Farmer Producer Organisations
FPOs aggregate produce, negotiate with buyers, and run processing units. They move women from price-takers to price-makers — from subsistence to enterprise.
- Aggregate produce
- Direct mandi access
- Processing units
- 7-day member payout
Governance & leadership
Every SHG, federation, and FPO has a women-led board. Training covers bookkeeping, AGM procedure, conflict resolution, and government scheme navigation.
- Women-led boards
- Bookkeeping training
- AGM procedure
- Scheme navigation
Native seeds · organic inputs · fair markets. Farmours does not import technology. We revive what tribal Chhattisgarh already knew — native seed varieties, organic composting, and direct buyer-seller relationships — and scale it through SHG discipline.
Why women-led farming wins
When women control farm income, nutrition improves, school enrolment rises, and domestic violence falls. The evidence is consistent across rural India — and Farmours adds another chapter to it.
Farmours has reached over 1 lakh households across 12 districts of Chhattisgarh since 2011.
3,320+ households lifted above ₹2.5 L annual income in FY 24-25 alone.
100% women-led governance across 860+ SHGs, 35 federations, and 18 FPOs.
FPO membership moves women from unpaid family labour to paid enterprise ownership.
Test your farming IQ
Five questions on rural livelihoods, women-led enterprise, and the Farmours model. Score 60% or higher to earn a certificate.
Livelihood practice area · 5-question quiz
5 questions · passing score 60%
Certificate of completion
Complete the course to earn your certificate
Resource library
Farmours PDFs — an awareness module on sustainable agriculture and a full mentor-led course on organic farming techniques. All CC-BY 4.0 — free to print and distribute with attribution.
Resource library
2 of 2Contact your nearest Meer Foundation field office. We will connect you to an existing SHG or help you form a new one with 10+ women from your village.
Join an FPO. The FPO aggregates produce from members and sells directly to mandis, processors, and retail buyers. You receive your share within 7 days.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Contact your nearest Meer Foundation field office. We will connect you to an existing SHG or help you form a new one with 10+ women from your village.