Theory of Change

Many rural development programmes in India promote poultry, dairy, and aquaculture as pathways for income generation. At the same time, public food programmes procure large volumes of animal products, reinforcing demand for animal farming.  

This project tests an alternative pathway.

If farmer organisations are able to process plant-based ingredients locally and connect them to buyers, then:

• farmers can diversify away from animal-based livelihoods
• rural entrepreneurs can participate in processing and value addition
• food manufacturers and institutional buyers can access locally produced plant-based ingredients
• plant-based foods can become more affordable and accessible

Over time, successful pilots can demonstrate that plant-based production can contribute to food security and rural livelihoods without expanding animal farming.

How The Model Is Being Tested

The project is designed as a pilot programme to test whether these models are feasible and scalable.

Community-Owned Processing Units

The first phase of the project installs two pilot processing units within Farmer Producer Organisations:

• one FTVP extrusion unit
• one seaweed derivative extraction unit

These units are supported a combination of partner funding and existing government schemes.

Training and Entrepreneurship

The pilot will train a small cohort of rural entrepreneurs, with a focus on women-led enterprises. Training covers technical processing skills, enterprise management, and market engagement.  

Market Linkages

The project will establish early demand pathways through:

• contracts with B2B buyers such as catering and hospitality companies
• pilot procurement with public nutrition programmes such as school meals and Anganwadi systems

These partnerships will help assess whether plant-based ingredients can compete within existing food supply chains.

Monitoring and Learning

The pilot will track:

• production volumes
• farmer and entrepreneur participation
• buyer uptake and procurement contracts
• cost competitiveness compared to animal-based inputs

This evidence will help determine whether the model can be expanded to additional farmer organisations and regions.

Pilot Locations

The first pilots are planned in three regions where animal-based production is already dominant:

• Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra – pulse and millet-based farmer organisations producing FTVP

These locations provide an opportunity to test whether plant-based production can offer viable alternatives within existing agricultural systems.  

What Success Looks Like

The initial pilot aims to demonstrate:

• viable processing models for plant-based ingredients
• participation from farmers and rural entrepreneurs
• functioning supply chains connecting producers and buyers
• potential integration into public food programmes

If successful, the model could be expanded to additional Farmer Producer Organisations and integrated more broadly into India’s food and livelihood systems.