Curious to hear the voices from farmers in India how RCS is changing their work and life?

For the very first time, cotton harvested in the past few weeks in Maharashtra, India has been produced and verified according to the principles and criteria of the holistic Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS). This significant achievement marks a milestone for everyone involved, including Ms. Yogita Chandrashekhar Raut and Mr. Ravindra Pandharinath Barde, cotton farmers from the village of Pimpaldhara in Maharashtra.

We had the opportunity to sit down with them and hear firsthand what it truly means to be part of the RCS family and learn from their first experiences in successfully implementing the standard’s requirements. Their insights highlight the importance of sustainable farming practices and the positive changes they bring already now to their community.

Mic drop for Ms. Raut and Mr. Barde!

Interview mit Yogita Chandrashekhar Raut

Ms. Raut, how does it feel for you to grow cotton according to the RCS standard, and what impact does it have on your farming practices?
I enjoy working on a farm. It’s a family tradition. I come from a farming family. My father was a farmer and I am married to a farmer. RCS is part of our efforts to keep this tradition alive.

What can you tell us about the position of women in your village?
Women’s attendance at public village meetings was extremely low, but it is steadily rising at RCS trainings. RCS helps village men understand the value of women in decision-making, helping them with agriculture, and raising their level of living.

So RCS supports you to enforce your rights as a women?
Yes, women in our hamlet needed this type of encouragement to regain their confidence. In each training I’ve gone to, they keep talking about gender equality and its advantages.

Can you tell us whether RCS also benefits the children in your village?
The ban on child labour is very important to RCS. I don’t bring my children to help with my farming activities and I haven’t seen anyone in our neighbourhood taking their kids to farm for work or employing child labour on their farm.

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Interview mit Ravindra Pandharinath Barde:

Mr. Barde, what does it mean for you to be an RCS farmer?
For me, RCS is an important supplement to the traditional agriculture I practise on the land of my ancestors. I received the land from my father, who was also a farmer. Our forefathers engaged only in traditional farming. That changed for a while. Me and others farmers adapted to chemical-based farming. But over time, I realized that synthetic, chemical-input-based farming has led to degraded and infertile soil.

How did RCS get you out of it?
This year, I learned about RCS as their staff visited us and explained the principles of sustainable farming, which can help us cultivate in a more environmentally friendly way. In response, I have reduced the use of synthetic inputs and replaced them with botanical alternatives like Dashparni Ark.

And what do you hope to achieve with RCS?
I hope that apart from improving soil health, this shift will also lower cultivation costs, thereby improving my standard of living. I believe that the principles taught by RCS will enable farmers like me to reduce cultivation costs while improving our living standards along with maintaining harmony with nature.

And how does RCS support you in this?
Through the training provided by RCS, I have learned a lot, including conducting soil tests, which revealed that my soil was more degraded than I initially thought. Additionally, I’ve received training in irrigation water management, input management. The RCS staff identified and mentored young farmers and equipping them with basic business skills. RCS has also trained local youth to assess farmers’ needs in areas like education, health, and environmental sustainability. I have also realized that the chemicals we used in the fields have caused health problems for farmers and harmed the environment. That is why I have committed to reducing synthetic inputs in my crop production practices this year.