This article is written by Rachna Chandira, Hansa Parmar and Paresh Bambhania for National Cooperative Union of India’s The Cooperator (magazine) issued in March 2025 on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Introduction
Agriculture is the lifeline for millions of women farmers in India, yet their contributions often go unrecognized. Women constitute a significant part of the agricultural labor force, with approximately 76.2% of the rural female workforce engaged in agriculture, according to the Indian Economy: A Review (2022-23). However, women are still not recognised as farmers as only 14% of landowners in India are women, showing a glaring gender disparity. This inequity reflects the systemic failure to acknowledge women as farmers, despite their significant participation and contribution to agricultural activities.
The Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative was established in the 1990s to address this inequity. It aimed to empower women farmers by giving them direct ownership of agricultural businesses in their villages. However, the cooperative faced numerous challenges, leading to its temporary closure.
As Late Elaben Bhatt, our beloved founder said – “When poor come together on the basis of their work and build organizations that decentralize production and distribution and promote asset formation and ownership, build people’s capacities, provide social security, and allow for active participation and a voice, they are dynamic and healthy and need our full support to grow.”
In 2011, recognising the need for revival, the cooperative, with support from SEWA Cooperative Federation (henceforth referred as Federation), took steps for its revival. It focused on strengthening capacity, enhancing market linkages, and fostering grassroots leadership to rebuild and sustain its operations. Today, the Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative stands as a testament to the determination of women farmers striving for self-reliance.
In its revival phase, the cooperative has implemented a three-step approach to strengthen the cooperative:
- Business Expansion: The cooperative is expanding into new geographical areas to broaden its market presence. It is also diversifying its business by exploring new opportunities, and business models, and establishing strategic partnerships to strengthen economic resilience.
- Strengthening the Cooperative: The cooperative is introducing new members to SEWA’s values and cooperative principles to strengthen collective participation. It holds regular board meetings and Annual General Meetings (AGMs) to maintain consistency and transparency in governance. Young members are joining the board, building a second line of leadership to ensure continuity.
- Capacity Building and Continuous Learning: Grassroots leadership is key to long-term sustainability and cooperative governance. Members are gaining skills and knowledge to strengthen decision-making and ownership, reinforcing the cooperative’s foundation.
1. Business Expansion: Strengthening the Agricultural Value Chain
a) Diversifying Business Activities
The Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative is expanding its business by diversifying beyond agricultural inputs to strengthen the entire value chain. Recognizing opportunities in mustard cultivation—a key crop in Kheda—the cooperative has ventured into the output business by purchasing mustard directly from farmers and selling it in the market.
Through regular surveys and farmer interactions, it identifies gaps where women farmers can play a larger role—not just as cultivators but also as market participants. This approach is rooted in the cooperative’s larger goal: ensuring that local economies thrive by keeping both production and sales within the hands of the farmers themselves.
During the revival period, the cooperative identified a strategic opportunity in mustard cultivation, a key crop grown by farmers in Kheda.
Recognizing the potential for better market linkages, the cooperative decided to venture into the output business by buying mustard directly from farmers and selling it in the market. The cooperative conducted a field survey of 49 farmers to assess mustard cultivation trends.
“They reduced my effort of finding the right market to sell and get the right price. I am happy with the mandali’s support. I received the amount directly from them for my mustard produce. Next time also I will sell it to Kheda Mandali,” shares Kantibhai, a farmer client of the cooperative.
By acting as connectors within their community, the cooperative is bridging the gap between local farmers and larger markets, making their local economy more self-sustaining.
B) Innovating for Better Access to Agricultural Inputs
Small farmers, especially women, struggle to access essential agricultural inputs. Long distances, limited mobility, and time constraints make it difficult to get seeds, fertilizers, and equipment when they need them. The Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative is trying to change this with Krishi Suvidha Kendras (KSKs)—small, locally run centers that bring farming essentials right into their villages. Currently, the cooperative runs 3 KSK’s in Kheda Taluka.
| KSK: A Hyperlocal Solution A KSK is a small, community-based store that stocks everything a farmer needs—seeds, fertilizers, fodder, and basic equipment. Set up within villages and often run from a cooperative member’s home, these centers cut down the long hours spent traveling to distant markets. Women farmers can now pick up essentials without disrupting their daily schedules. For many, this means more time for farming and family, and less dependence on middlemen. Solving Time Poverty For women in agriculture, time poverty is a huge challenge. Between farming and unpaid household work, their days are stretched thin, leaving little time for rest, social activities, or additional income opportunities. The Time Use Survey 2024, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, reiterates what has long been known: despite small improvements, women still shoulder the burden of unpaid labor at home. In 2024, women spent 289 minutes a day on unpaid domestic work—just 10 minutes less than in 2019, but still 201 minutes more than men. They also spent 137 minutes daily on unpaid caregiving, an increase from 134 minutes in 2019, compared to 75 minutes for men. This gendered division of labor directly affects women’s ability to earn, access opportunities, and participate in economic decision-making. To address this, the cooperative recently opened its third mobile KSK from a member’s home in Jeswapura, Kheda, Gujarat. Farmers can now access supplies right in their neighborhood instead of making tiring trips to faraway markets. It’s a small shift, but one that makes a big difference—ensuring women farmers save time, reduce costs, and have more control over their work. |
Here are some key reasons that make this an ideal model for women farmer cooperatives:
- Hyperlocal Services: Women save time and resources as they do not have to travel far to buy farming essentials.
- Brings visibility to Women as Farmers: A women owned, managed and run cooperative strengthens the identity of women as farmers and builds an ecosystem – providing visibility to women as farmers
- Connection to markets: By improving access to resources, women farmers can sell better-quality produce.
- Encouraging nano entrepreneurship: KSKs are often run by cooperative members, creating extra income opportunities.
- A hands-on training centre: Practical learning, right in the village, makes new techniques easier to adopt.
2. Strengthening Cooperatives: Building Leadership and Governance
a) Building Leadership
Building leadership among informal women workers is at the core of the cooperative model. Women owned, run, and managed agricultural cooperatives provide a platform for them to be visible—as decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Through tailored capacity building and hands-on ownership, women farmers are enhancing their own livelihoods and shaping the future of sustainable farming in their communities.
This contextualised training helps build grassroots leadership. The cooperative has seen the rise of women leaders like Rinkuben. A 35-year-old woman farmer from Jeswapura village in Kheda Taluka. Like hundreds of other women farmers of Jeswapura, she took care of her farm, her livestock, and did stitching work to supplement her family income. As she heard about the cooperative’s work, she felt inspired to join the Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative. Observing the other members of the cooperative contributing to its business expansion, Rinkuben, as the youngest board member, established the 3rd mobile KSK from her home in Jeswapura (Mobile KSKs are smaller units of the main Krishi Suvidha Kendra, representing a hub and spoke model to expand the reach of the cooperatives business to the last mile).
Through her mobile-KSK, Rinkuben ensures that local farmers have access to essential farming supplies, bridging the gap in last-mile agricultural resources. Further recognising the need for sustainable farming solutions, she and her husband are now setting up a biogas plant to promote organic farming. To gain firsthand insights into the process and impact of biogas adoption, they recently joined fellow cooperative members on an exposure visit organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to nearby villages in Anand. This visit allowed them to learn from existing models, understand the challenges, and explore ways to integrate biogas into their farming ecosystem.
“It makes me happy and feel pagbhar (self-reliant) when I conduct business from my home,” she says. Her journey represents a larger shift towards self-sufficiency and sustainable farming within the cooperative.
As a board member, Rinkuben plays a key role in shaping the cooperative’s initiatives. Her leadership ensures that decisions reflect the needs of all members, while keeping them informed and engaged in new opportunities. Whether expanding services through the KSK model or exploring sustainable solutions like a biogas plant, she is driving change from within the cooperative. Her journey reflects the cooperative’s strength—when women lead, they bring others along, making growth a collective effort.
B) Annual General Meeting: For Strengthening Governance and Member Participation
Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the sanctum sanctorum of democratic governance in cooperatives. Especially for informal women worker led cooperatives. It is a space where all members participate equally, voice concerns, and collectively decide the cooperative’s future. A privilege they do not possess in the world outside of their cooperatives. Cooperatives operating as social businesses, have their economic objectives deeply tied to social justice and member growth. For women of Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative, their AGM is beyond just a meeting—it is an affirmation of their role in shaping their cooperative and their identity as successful women farmers.
| A Glimpse into the Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative’s AGM (2023-24) “I am not afraid to speak at the AGM tomorrow. I worry about how society will react, calling me a woman who speaks too much”, shared Dakshaben while reflecting on her role in moderating the AGM. One of the youngest board members of Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative, she continues to set an example for other women, proving that leadership comes from confidence and participation. Key Decisions and Discussions The AGM followed a structured process, ensuring every agenda item was discussed with transparency: • Financial Review and Net Profit Allocation by members. • Approval of a new business plan to increase turnover by 30% y-o-y and expand operations in Kheda Taluka. • Proposal to change bylaws to accommodate future growth. • Election of new board representatives to ensure inclusive leadership. Each decision was collectively approved through a show of hands, reinforcing the cooperative’s democratic structure. Every member had a say, ensuring that leadership remained accountable and progress reflected the aspirations of the collective. |
3. Capacity Building and Continuous Learning
a) Member Education and Training
Composed of informal women workers, providing continuous handholding and education at every stage is a crucial aspect of the cooperative’s operations. To further strengthen the cooperatives base there is now an active focus on member education.
Recently, a two-day residential training program for the 20 newest members of the cooperative, was held in Neembadi, Sanand 50 kms away from their homes.
“This was the first time I left my village and attended a training” – shares Anitaben, one of the participants. For all participants like Anitaben, it was their first time leaving their villages in Kheda district – showing a willingness to collectively explore uncharted ways.
The 7 principles of cooperatives highlight the need and importance of member education in building and sustaining the spirit of cooperatives. The International Cooperative Alliance emphasises the need to prioritize membership, alongside the core business is crucial for the movement’s success.
The cooperative has also focused on family support structures, ensuring that women receive encouragement from their families to participate in leadership roles. This has helped in enabling a more inclusive and resilient cooperative ecosystem.
b) Exposure Visits
To expand learning opportunities, the cooperative undertakes exposure visits to other cooperatives and organisations working in similar fields. These visits provide women farmers with firsthand experience of different models and practices.
As mentioned earlier, the cooperative took its members to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to explore biogas and solar plant installation and understand dairy operations. Such visits help members gain technical knowledge, broaden their perspectives, and see new possibilities for their cooperative’s growth.
Beyond local and national visits, the cooperative also facilitates international exposure programs. These allow members to engage with global networks, understand diverse cooperative models, and contribute their voices on platforms where decisions affecting them are made. By participating in such spaces, members develop a strong sense of ownership and leadership, empowering them to actively shape the future of their cooperative.
Conclusion
The Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative is rebuilding itself through collective action, leadership, and resilience. Like many cooperatives, it faced significant challenges in its early years. The cooperative, with support from the Federation’s services as a Women’s Enterprise Support System, is working toward self-reliance, enabling women farmers to take charge of their work and strengthen local economies.Small but steady steps have driven this progress. Training women in leadership has enabled members like Rinkuben and Dakshaben to lead change in their communities. Platforms like the Annual General Meeting (AGM) give every member a voice in decisions. Krishi Suvidha Kendras (KSKs) have improved access to agricultural resources and reduced time poverty.
Through strategic and timely decisions like expansion into agricultural outputs, improving market linkages, exploring alternative ways for climate resilience and mitigation, membership growth and collective decision-making, Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative continues to shape its future.
The cooperative, still in its revival phase, is showing how informal women worker-led cooperatives balance economic goals with social impact. By building local businesses and strengthening ownership, it offers a model for other women’s agribusinesses in India.
References:
- Steps To Strengthen The Membership Of Cooperative: From The Revival Of Kheda Women Farmers Cooperative
- Agricultural Extension Services Can Support Women Farmers: 10 Recommendations
- Kheda Cooperative’s Tryst with Mustard
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2106113
- https://dea.gov.in/sites/default/files/Monthly%20Economic%20Review%20December%202023.pdf
- Agarwal, B., Anthwal, P., & Mahesh, M. (2021). How Many and Which Women Own Land in India? Inter-gender and Intra-gender Gaps. The Journal of Development Studies, 57(11), 1807–1829. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2021.1887478
