The State PSU — Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals’ (GNFC) innovative project of providing livelihood to rural women and landless labourers through 100 per cent Neem coating of Urea project got international recognition by getting accolade from University of Chicago.
The Neem project, which is being successfully implemented at GNFC for the past two years, is the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Managing Director of GNFC Rajiv Gupta was recently invited by University of Chicago to give presentation on the project and how it contributed for the upliftment of women by developing and implementing sustainable socio-economic programme.
The presentation was coordinated by Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). The institute is working directly with global leaders to help them make important decisions about the future, while also educating and mentoring the energy leaders of tomorrow.
By leveraging these partners and harnessing top talent with varied expertise, EPIC is tackling the world’s toughest energy problems.
The Project was planned and implemented by GNFC using established community structures in rural Gujarat to build linkages within its supply chain network for neem seed collection. It is proof of effective backward integration for creating shared value among the rural and urban poor; and empowering communities with targeted focus on women empowerment through income generation and improved livelihoods.
Currently the project has been active in 22 districts across 4,000 villages in Gujarat. In the last two years, over Rs25 crore incomes have been generated for 2.25 lakh women. An additional 75,000 has benefitted from indirect employment.
The Neem Project was appreciated by PM Modi for the positive impact on the indigenous people of Gujarat. Till date, the Neem project has won nine awards, including Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility 2016, the SKOCH Blue Economy Platinum Sustainability Award 2016, and Global CSR Excellence Award.