International Development Enterprises India (IDEI)

Prize Finalist 2008

Organisation name

International Development Enterprises India (IDEI)
http://ide-india.org/

Testimonial

IDEI is pleased to be on the shortlist for the Rio Tinto Alcan Prize 2008 as this helps to focus international attention on our innovative poverty alleviation programmes. Making it to the top ten finalists is a vindication of our organization's market-creation based rural development approach.

Financial resources

Annual income US$ 2,394,902

Geographical focus

Global

Issue focus

Employment, energy, enterprise, environment, food and agriculture, poverty, supply chain, water and sanitation.

Key achievements

Assisted nearly five million people achieve food and income security through innovative technology-based poverty alleviation programmes;
Generated US$ 934 million in increased farmer incomes; an average of US$400 as additional net annual income per family
Established a vibrant supply chain for low-cost micro-irrigation technologies, resulting in nearly 430 million person-days of employment for farmers and skilled and unskilled workers.
IDEI technologies have contributed substantially to environmental well-being in terms of reduction of 1.79 million tCO2eq of emissions and diesel savings amounting to 530 million litres.

Mission

International Development Enterprises India (IDEI)'s mission is "To improve equitably the social, economic and environmental conditions of families in need, with special emphasis on the rural poor, by identifying, developing and marketing affordable, appropriate and environmentally sustainable solutions through market forces".

IDEI develops and disseminates low-cost, energy-efficient technologies to poor smallholder farm families across India. These innovative technologies strive to increase farm productivity and therefore income, and also impact positively on the environment, in terms of reducing water, diesel and electricity usage. IDEI's technology portfolio includes:

Water- lifting technologies(treadle pumps)
Water- application technologies(drip and sprinkler systems)
Water storage technologies (plastic tanks)
Sustainable Agriculture technologies.

Background

IDEI is an Indian non-profit organisation committed to providing sustainable, long-term solutions to poverty and hunger across the globe. It was established in 1991 as a representative office of IDE USA/Canada in India. Subsequently, it was registered as an Indian organization in 2001 under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
Since 1992, thanks to an innovative and pioneering Market-Creation for Development approach, IDEI has facilitated the dissemination, through a profit-driven supply chain, of over 962 thousand environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient, low-cost micro-irrigation solutions to smallholder farmers, enabling them to progress from rain-fed subsistence farming to small-scale commercial agriculture and thus, begin an upward spiral out of poverty. IDEI's goal is 'Enabling Prosperity' and till date, over five million people (men, women and children) have benefited from IDEI's interventions.

Management

The IDEI system of management promotes sustainability and champions market forces throughout its structure. In order to deliver the micro-irrigation technologies to smallholders, IDEI has adopted an innovative 'Profit for Progress' methodology, creating and nurturing private sector supply chains engaged in the manufacture and distribution of these technologies, at fair prices which incorporate a profit margin for the manufacturers and distributors.

IDEI applies business principles to facilitate market systems in which the rural poor can participate effectively as micro-entrepreneurs. To accomplish this, IDEI engages the local private sector to

i) Consider poor farmers as a viable market and
ii) Provide them with productivity-enhancing tools at a price that is affordable yet fair to manufacturers and distributors.

IDEI employees actively solicit information from farmers regarding their aspirations and needs, and products are developed accordingly, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and time.

IDEI strongly believes in well-defined monitoring and evaluative mechanisms which help to increase organizational efficiency. IDEI has designed a well regulated series of meetings to plan, monitor and review organisational activities which include:

Monthly meetings at regional office level to set targets, report and monitor field performance
Quarterly meetings at senior management level from regions and head office to plan targets, review performances, share learnings and solve problems
Annual meeting of entire staff body to reflect on past experience, plan for the future, share cross regional learnings and reiterate commitment to IDEI's mission

Partnerships

The success of IDEI's programs is dependent on the strong partnerships it forms. Roles and responsibilities for partners are set collaboratively, based on their expertise and are focused on removing key constraints to improved productivity faced by smallholders. Partners include:

The supply chain: IDEI has worked with 40 manufacturers, 140 distributors, 1250 retailers and 1200 village level technicians to produce and disseminate low-cost energy-efficient technologies to smallholders.
Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs): They are key to introducing the treadle pump to women farmers. IDEI is associated with over 100 SHGs;
NGOs: IDEI organizes training programmes and demonstration plots in NGO operational areas. IDEI has worked with over 50 NGOs to promote the treadle pump;
Government departments, particularly those engaged in rural development schemes.

Impact Achieved

All IDEI interventions contribute to:

Environmental sustainability: IDEI's technologies lead to 70-80% increase in water-use efficiency; reduction in harmful emissions as technologies are manually powered or gravity-fed; diesel and electricity savings; reduced dependence of smallholders on chemical fertilisers and pesticides;
Economic sustainability: Increased productivity leads to increased income that is invested in better nutrition, housing, healthcare and asset building; subsistence farming shifts to growing high-value marketable crops; employment generation in farming and manufacturing sector;
Social sustainability: The gap between the haves and have-nots decreases; women farmers are empowered to play a larger role in their farms and society; drop in seasonal migration of smallholders from rural to urban areas in search of work; improved access of children to education.

Contact

For further information please contact Amitabha Sadangi
Email: amitabha@ide-india.org