The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) is encouraging farmers to adopt co-operative natural farming. Five farmers from each village will join the Farmers’ Producers’ Organisation (FPO) Nammadu and farm 20 guntas (half an acre) of land together. Half of this land will grow food for their own families. The other half will be used to grow crops like vegetables, creepers, tubers, and greens using natural, chemical-free methods. KRRS leader Chukki Nanjundaswamy explains, "Under this experiment, five farmers from each village are registered with the farmers’ Producers’ Organisation (FPO) Nammadu to take up natural farming on 20 guntas (half acre) of land as an unit. Of this, 10 guntas will be dedicated to growing crops for consumption of their own family. On the remaining 10 guntas, the five farmers will have to take up joint cultivation of prescribed crops like vegetables including creepers, tubers and greens under natural farming methods to ensure chemical-free food." The FPO will sell the produce directly to consumers through popular santhes (markets) in Bengaluru, managed by farmers in turn. This helps farmers get fair prices with fewer middlemen. Estimates suggest that each group can earn up to ₹1 lakh per crop cycle. Since each cycle lasts four months, they can complete three cycles a year. Five farmers working together could earn up to ₹3 lakh annually from half an acre if successful. The goal is to prove that small land holdings can be profitable through direct sales of organic food. Nanjundaswamy says, "We are particularly insisting on group farming as sharing the responsibility would reduce the burden on farmers. The intention is to build a cordial environment of co-operation instead of competition in agriculture. This also helps in fighting labour shortage." Farmers will get on-field training by experts, with advanced sessions provided by the Amrita Bhoomi Trust, which focuses on farmer education. This concept follows the vision of the late Prof. M. D. Nanjundaswamy, founder of KRRS. "This idea of co-operative natural farming was being espoused by my father (the late Prof. M. D. Nanjundaswamy who founded the KRRS). We began the groundwork for this during Covid times and so far we have registered about 700 farmers as members for the FPO. We want to expand it to at least 100 villages in the immediate future," Chukki added. KRRS has already set up direct marketing via santhes in Bengaluru to support farmers selling organic products. The programme recently launched its first prototype in K.K. Hundi village of Chamarajanagar district. KRRS State secretariat member and Nammadu FPO Director Manju Kiran said, "What we are trying to demonstrate now is a prototype, and this has the potential to assume larger proportions. Our intention is to retain farm youth in agriculture and ensure that they get remunerative prices for their crops so that they need not come to cities in search of menial jobs. They should be able to live dignified lives in villages. This is crucial from the point of view of food security and health of society too."