Terms of Reference (TOR)

Module on Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture, Package of practices of crops and Certification Process; Referring to Sahaja Organics

Title	Module on Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture and Package of practice and certification process
Timeline	03 Months
Expected area of expertise	Experience in Training module development and Content development Technical knowledge in agriculture and organic farming.
Email and website	https://forms.gle/jSmtWw73CTmZkMvG8 (Contact Procurement for Form Link)
Last Date of Application	02nd January, 2025

About SELCO Foundation:

SELCO Foundation's mission is to create a platform of solutions that uses sustainable energy as a catalyst to link environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation. With holistic development as the primary focus, the organization strives to create equitable societies where all communities have access to essential services. SELCO Foundation's Agri & Allied program focuses on empowering farmers and rural communities through sustainable agriculture practices, thereby creating an impact in terms of improved energy-efficient technology, increased crop yields, enhanced livelihoods, and reduced carbon footprint. To know more about SELCO Foundation, visit www.selcofoundation.org.

Summary of the project:

SELCO Foundation, plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change by promoting sustainable energy solutions, particularly solar power, to underserved communities. In this view SELCO Foundation recognizes the importance of organic farming because of the following reasons:

Organic farming is an age-old science of cultivating the food crops, with explosion of Population leads to resort for the use of chemicals and fertilizers for high production of FOOD CROPS ACROSS THE GLOBE. This lead use of hugh chemicals lead to soil degradation and Agriculture becoming unsustainable across the value chains. In this scenario the Organic Agriculture /natural farming etc are returning triumphantly.

SELCO Foundation is dedicated to supporting farmers who are engaged in organic farming by collaborating with Sahaja Organics, a FPO based out in the outskirts of Bengaluru, probably first of kind of FPO where the Organic Agriculture is prime activity. Sahaja successfully sailed the initial hiccups and now it became successful FPO with turnover of 20 crore annually

This partnership is focused on bridging the knowledge gaps that many farmers face when transitioning from conventional to organic farming methods. To achieve this, SELCO Foundation and Sahaja Organics are working together to develop comprehensive training modules that cover various aspects of organic farming. These modules provide farmers with a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of organic agriculture, including soil health management, crop rotation, pest control and sustainable farming practices.

To further engage stakeholders and ensure effective collaboration, SELCO Foundation is in the process of onboarding agency for the development of Training Modules based on Sahaja Organics organic farming practices (fundamentals and package of practices) and the certification processes.

To further engage stakeholders and ensure effective collaboration, SELCO Foundation is in the process of onboarding a consultant for the “Module Development on Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture and Package of practice and certification process”.

Goals and Objectives Goal

The program aims to create training modules covering the fundamentals of organic farming, recommended practices and the certification processes followed by Sahaja Organics. By documenting best practices, the program will assist farmers transitioning from conventional to organic farming, while also helping them to gain expertise and improve their proficiency in organic farming through the adoption of these effective practices.

Objective

• Developing a training module on organic farming and best practices for farmers serves several important purposes. Firstly, it equips farmers with the essential knowledge and skills needed to successfully transitioning from conventional farming to organic farming methods. By understanding the core principles of organic farming, farmers can enhance their productivity sustainably without relying on harmful chemicals.

• The training module also provides practical guidance on implementing organic practices, ensuring that farmers can maintain high-quality, chemical-free produce while adhering to organic certification standards.
• By documenting and sharing best practices, the module ensures that farmers learn from successful examples and avoid common pitfalls. Moreover, it enhances farmers' market access by preparing them for organic certification, which opens up premium markets for organic products.

Scope of Work

The work will involve developing training Module for the target audiences including interactions with the Sahaja FPCL and farmers, doing secondary research on the required aspects of organic farming and developing training modules (by means of documents) which can be used in totality and in modular formats to help build capacities, co-develop programs for the target audiences. Through this exercise, the aim is to capture the concepts, best practices, certification agencies and the process involved for the same in order to give a complete understanding of the organic farming practices, transitioning and certification process, challenges, ways to overcome from the same. The document should also be able to guide other farmers, FIG’s, FPO’s to be able to replicate these programs in their own contexts and geographies.

Requirements:

• Agency / Individual can apply in this project
  • Agencies / Consultant with experience in Training Module Development and Content development.
• Proven experience of 2-3 years in Agri and allied business, Organic farming activities with active market idea.
• Technical knowledge and familiarity with agriculture in general and organic farming practices in particular.
• Having efficient team for problem statement, research, data collection and documentation
• Fluency in English and knowledge of other local languages
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated proficiency in organic farming.
  • Strong knowledge in Agri allied market and accessible for various stakeholders such as FPOs, end users, Agri startups, farmers/FPOs, NGOs etc
• Those interested may apply with the following information:

1. The candidate CV, Portfolio with evidence of relevant work experience and education
2. Portfolio showcasing relevant work in Module development, Contenct creation, research, FPO’s reach, business development
3. Financial quote with costs against the deliverables with more detail and breakup

Selection Criteria:

The technical proposal will be evaluated based on the following general areas:

• All relevant files, including editable versions of the deliverables, need to be provided by the Agency / Consultant.
• Ability to bring innovative and effective approaches to module development, ensuring engagement and knowledge retention.
• A clear and comprehensive proposal that outlines the approach, methodology and deliverables for each module.
• Provide references from previous clients or partners, along with testimonials that speak to the quality and impact of the training modules developed.
• The Agency / Consultant should have experience handling similar projects, assignments, contracts & challenges.
• The proposals submitted by the Agency / Consultant will be evaluated and examined by an expert in-house committee. The final selection will rest with the competent authority of the SELCO Foundation.
  • Kindly mention your name, address, contact information along with correct bank details and signature in the proposal and quotation.
• The financial proposal will be evaluated based on expertise, cost, lead-time and proposed payment terms.

To apply

Interested individuals, with relevant experience (please include portfolio and links of relevant work) are requested to reach out with a Statement of Purpose giving a brief on how the opportunity aligns with their goals, including budgets (with break-ups and explanation), timelines and milestones and submit the same to the google form https://forms.gle/jSmtWw73CTmZkMvG8 on before 02nd January, 2024.

Any further queries please write to procurement@selcofoundation.org with a subject line: Module on Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture and Package of practice and certification process”

To download the full ToR, click here

 

Tags Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Livelihood Others