Know How This Organic Food Company Helped Promote Organic Farming in India

  Sresta, a company based in Hyderabad, Telangana, entered the organic food market in 2004. Most farmers relied on chemical inputs to increase crop productivity at the time, making organic food an exotic idea. The government developed programs to assist and promote organic farming only ten years later. Rajshekhar Reddy Seelam, the man behind the farm-to-fork initiative Sresta, made the decision to employ a two-pronged approach. The business provides ongoing assistance to farmers in order to help them transition to organic farming from using chemical inputs. Additionally, it buys, prepares, and markets the product to ensure a stable market. In order to generate customer demand for the products, Sresta simultaneously funds extensive awareness campaigns regarding organic farming and its advantages for both human health and the environment. According to “India: Organic Industry Market Report-2021” published by the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, the company's brand name "24 Mantra" now holds the biggest market share for organic food goods. From 40 farmers to 40,000 farmers, the company now operates across roughly 81,000 hectares (ha) in 15 states. Sresta's list now contains approximately 200 items, ranging from flour, grains, pulses, millets, dried fruits, and spices to flours, cold-pressed oil, pickles, biscuits, culinary pastes, jams, and ready-to-eat products, as opposed to the original acquisition of wheat, mustard, gram, and barley. As organic products are sold at prices 40-60 percent higher than those for conventional products, farmers are also seeing their incomes soar. The products have gradually become popular and are sold in over 7500 stores and on e-commerce platforms. Sresta thus helped to expand the farm-to-fork philosophy to promote organic farming.

Food Dosti, One Of Its Kind Revolutionary Platform, Has Been Launched

Pune's Deputy Mayor Dr Siddharth Dhende on Wednesday launched a remarkable, game-changing app, the ' Food Dosti' app, version 2.0 at the Deccan Royale Hotel in Pune. The mobile application is the brainchild of Mr Sanjeev Neve, Founder of Samvad Social Technologies. The app is recognized as India's first zero food wastage platform which resolves the issue of food wastage in restaurants.  The app brings eateries, their customers, and non-profits together in a win-win bid to minimize food wastage. Restaurants tied up with Food Dosti offer Food Dosti points to customers who finish the food on their plate, thus encouraging patrons to aim for a cleaner plate after every meal. The points enable them to secure discounts on future meals. Another highlight of the app is that the surplus food at the restaurants is put to good use by being fed to the needy. The Food Dosti app, version 2.0 facilitates tie-ups between restaurants and non-profits/NGOs so that the surplus food reaches the needy, thus ensuring no food is wasted. Dr Siddharth Dhende, who was the guest of honour at the event pledged his support towards this noble cause and assured of all help. He has proposed special concessions for the entities connected to Food Dosti for the cause.  Celebrity Chef, Nilesh Limaye was also present at the event and expressed his views on zero food wastage. Director of Poona Guest House (PGH), Secretary of Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA) and a representative of Annadoot Charitable Sevabhavi Nyasa Mr Kishor Sarpotdar was present and shared his views on upcycling of food. Mr Sanjeev Neve said that his company is committed to working towards social causes and Food Dosti app is the first step in this endeavour.