Sowing Green, Reaping Gold

22 May, 2026

Priya Vivekaswamy smiles as she proudly displays the gold growing in her field. She snaps a stem of her farm grown organic turmeric in half, and healthy, golden turmeric gleams through its brown skin. Priya and her husband Vivekaswamy are organic farmers living in Erode, Tamil Nadu, a major turmeric growing region in India.

“About a few decades ago, turmeric was a spice of great value. A quintal of turmeric cost about the same as a sovereign of gold. But around fifteen years ago, turmeric prices began to fall steadily. With the increasing use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the cost of production rose tremendously, while production itself declined. It was no longer profitable for farmers to produce as much turmeric,” says S. Subramaniam, former District Director of Agriculture.

As chemical inputs intensified, soil quality declined, water systems became more polluted, and biodiversity around farms began to thin. But demand for turmeric rose again during the pandemic, renewing interest in both production and quality. If farmers could be trained in sustainable and organic farming, they could begin producing quality certified spices that would not only raise incomes but also protect the biodiversity of the region. In 2021, GIZ, along with AVT McCormick Ingredients Pvt. Ltd. and McCormick Switzerland GmbH, launched a project to support spice farmers across six Indian districts in Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to adopt economically, socially and environmentally sustainable spice production practices.

“When the birds arrive, our yield increases,” says Duraiswamy, former administrative officer of the Panchayat in Kanagapuram near Vellore Bird Sanctuary in Erode. “Birds are farmer’s friends. They control insect populations, help in pollination, and their droppings make an excellent nitrogen rich fertiliser,” he continues. “Through training and workshops conducted by GIZ, AVT McCormick and McCormick Switzerland, farmers like me learnt about the importance of biodiversity in farming and were encouraged to adopt sustainable farming practices.”

During migration season, birds rest at Periyakulam Lake at the Vellore Bird Sanctuary. The water is fresh and largely unpolluted by chemical fertilisers, and farmers living nearby, like Duraiswamy, want to keep it that way. But the lake is already showing signs of stress from harmful farming practices. Dead fish float near the edge of the lake, causing concern among farmers. Most farmers in Erode live along the Cauvery and Bhavani River belts. Heavy pesticide and chemical fertiliser use eventually leaches into river water, which is later used for irrigation. Over time, increasing salt and alkaline conditions in contaminated water have made it harder for crops to absorb nutrients from the soil.

“The project has sensitised over 400 farmers about sustainable Turmeric cultivation and reduced pesticide usage in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The use of chemical fertilisers was reduced by testing their soil and water and providing personalised recommendations for each farmer. We first encouraged them to adopt sustainable practices and then transition towards organic farming. Trainings and workshops were conducted in association with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University professors, scientists, horticultural department experts, Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientists and the Association of Organic Farmers. These efforts helped increase awareness around biodiversity, pest management and fertiliser management,” recalls Mr. Subramaniam. Practices recommended to participating farmers include soil preparation, green manuring, summer ploughing, planting trap crops, and cultivating mulch crops. Of the 400 farmers sensitised, 226 were trained on sustainable farming and certification standardsand are now FSA (Farm Sustainability Assessment) certified.

The project supports farmers through the FSA certification process, which takes into account the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable farming and is recognised by markets across the world. Of the 226 farmers in Erode, 94% achieved silver level certification and 6% acquired gold level certification in 2022. The project is implemented in partnership with AVT McCormick Ingredients Pvt Ltd and McCormick that provide buy back arrangements for the sustainably produced certified spices which provides premium market opportunities for the farmers. This encourages the adoption of sustainable farming practices and supports the longterm sustainability of project interventions.

“I realised the benefits of organic farming when other farmers started asking how our crops were growing taller than us!” says Kowsalya Devi, a certified organic farmer turned entrepreneur. Kowsalya joined the project in 2021 and, three years later, grows, processes, and sells her own brand of organic turmeric. Through exposure visits, trainings and farmer exchange programmes organised under the project, she observed the advantages that organic farmers in Erode had over farmers in other parts of the country. This encouraged her to pay closer attention during trainings and workshops and apply what she learnt on her farm.

Kowsalya now not only grows organic turmeric, but also boils, polishes, powders, packages and sells it directly from her home, where customers can follow the turmeric journey from farm to packet. In 2025, Kowsalya Devi received the Ministry of Agriculture’s Best Organic Farm (Women) Award for her work in sustainable turmeric cultivation and farmer training. For women farmers like Priya, Kowsalya Devi and the women’s self-help group she runs, the project has created opportunities that extend beyond farming income.

“I never imagined that I would one day speak at the National Spice Conference,” says Kowsalya. “There is so much that I have learnt, not just about how turmeric cultivation affects the environment, but also about how farming practices can make a difference.”

Kowsalya Devi is among 32 Master Trainers, farmers who have learnt, implemented, and now train others in sustainable and organic farming practices. Master trainers like Kowsalya and G. Palaniswami, an FSA certified farmer, have opened their farms to other farmers and agricultural college students to share their experiences and farming methods. Across the six states where the project is being implemented, spice farmers, especially women farmers, hope these practices will encourage more sustainable farming approaches in the future.