The Cauvery Calling movement, which was initiated by Sadhguru, has led to the planting of 10.9 crore saplings till now and supported around 2,13,000 farmers in adopting tree-based agriculture. In the year 2023-24, the movement aimed to plant 2 crore saplings in the Cauvery basin.
In the financial year 2023-24, Cauvery Calling volunteers mobilised 65,000 farmers and the general public which led to an uptake of 2 crore saplings for a total area of 50,000 acres across the Cauvery basin. The movement aims to revitalise the Cauvery River – the lifeline of 8.4 crore people – and significantly improve the economy of farmers by enabling the planting of 242 crore trees on private farmlands.
Cauvery Calling follows a tree-based agricultural approach that not only multiplies farmers' income through diversified tree-based agriculture practices but also enhances soil organic matter. This facilitates better water absorption, which in turn replenishes underground reserves and sustains the river's flow throughout the year.
Speaking about the progress of the movement in Karnataka, the state’s Cauvery Calling coordinator Raisa said, “Since the scale-up of Cauvery Calling in 2019, Karnataka Forest Department has played a pivotal role by increasing the production and distribution of saplings to farmers, and is also working towards easing the tree felling and transit laws. We deeply appreciate the efforts from the Government of Karnataka to revive the Cauvery basin’s ecology and benefit the farmer community.”
Speaking about the success of the movement, Thamizhmaran, Cauvery Calling’s Tamil Nadu coordinator, said, “Cauvery Calling is a movement that has germinated from a seed planted by Sadhguru three decades ago. We have relentlessly moved forward with meticulous planning by investing in providing quality saplings, educating farmers about adopting tree-based agriculture, and conducting mega training workshops in model farms which help farmers learn directly from other farmers.”
The Cauvery Calling Nursery in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu is one of the world’s largest single-site nurseries with an annual production capacity of 85 lakh saplings. The Cauvery Calling Nursery in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu has an annual production capacity of 15 lakh saplings. These two nurseries provide saplings to 39 distribution centres across the state. The nurseries also provide 29 species of high-value timber tree species, including Teak, Red Sandalwood, Rosewood and Mahogany, to farmers at a subsidized cost of Rs. 3 per sapling.
To create innovative livelihood models for farmers, Cauvery Calling recently implemented a production franchise, establishing a farmer-driven nursery production centre. Anand Ethirajalu, Project Director for Cauvery Calling, said, “The pilot program received a stupendous response, and in 2023, we had 33 farming households that produced an impressive 55 lakh saplings through this program. Interestingly, 25% of the farmer producers are in the age group of 25-35. This is an indicator that profitability is inspiring young people to explore agriculture.”
“We are also creating a distribution franchise through which we sell ready saplings to farmers which they can distribute to other farmers. This model is enabling farmers to become financially self-reliant. In 2023, 18 farming households distributed 21 lakh saplings.”
To raise awareness, the Cauvery Calling project deployed over 160 field executives to personally visit more than 32,300 farmlands. These executives provided free consultations to farmers and spread awareness about the benefits of adopting tree-based agriculture. During these visits, the executives conducted thorough soil and water testing on the farms. Based on the results, they recommended suitable tree species for each farmland. These recommendations are carefully curated, taking into account the region’s endemic tree varieties, agro-climatic conditions and the income-cycle expectations of the farmers.
In addition to field visits, Cauvery Calling has engaged directly with farmers through various forums such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Expos, and meetings with Gram Panchayats among others. The movement is continuing to support and educate over 44,000 farmers through over 170 WhatsApp groups. These WhatsApp groups serve as platforms for resolving queries and providing guidance, leveraging the expertise of model farmers and agricultural experts.
Cauvery Calling also conducted three mega training programs and 12 zonal training programs for farmers, drawing the participation of over 6,000 farmers. Experts from reputed agriculture institutes and scientists from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru, and ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, amongst others, joined these training programs and shared practical field inputs on the significance of tree-based agriculture.
Cauvery Calling is an ecological movement, led by farmers, that focuses on restoring the environment. They organise plantation drives on various important dates such as World Environment Day, Van Mahotsav Week, River Revitalisation Day, Gandhi Jayanti, and World Soil Day. Through these events, they aim to encourage people to plant more trees and support their tree-planting efforts. They have conducted a total of 769 events, resulting in the plantation of 14 lakh saplings. Cauvery Calling has been recognised as the top innovator in ecological conservation and restoration by Trillion Trees: India Challenge. It is a significant project that has the potential to revolutionise the tropical world.
