Background

The Innovative Farmers Group Award is an award established by LI-BIRD. The award recognizes or encourages a farmers group or a cooperative, that has been continuously and enthusiastically engaged in research and development of new innovation and resource management, has developed new innovations in agriculture, agrobiodiversity and natural resource management of wider applications, and/or has made concerted efforts in helping others in making productive use of these innovations.

Objective of the Award

The main objective of the award is to promote local knowledge, initiatives and innovations. Specially, it aims :

• to empower local CBOs for research and development,
• to promote partnership, networks and collaboration among local institutions for  social, economic and environmental benefits to the community,
• to encourage, spur, spawn, stimulate and sustain grassroots innovations and to provide seed resource for local community based activities, and
• to scale up good practices of LI-BIRD and its research outputs.

Norms 

• Best Innovative Farmer Group award is an award established by LI-BIRD. The award is worth Rs 7,000. The award will be annually provided to best CBOs or farmers group on the LI-BIRD's Day.
• The award is for a farmers group, CBO or Cooperative that is continuously and enthusiastically engaged and has  substantially contributed to research and development of new innovations and resource management; developed new innovations in agriculture, agrobiodiversity and natural resource management of wider applications; and/or has made concerted efforts in helping others in making productive use of these innovations; and has simply contributed to adding value to an existing innovation by playing critical and catalytic role in wider dissemination and uptake of such innovations.
• Any group that meets the eligibility criteria as defined by LI-BIRD can submit their application.
• The group with following criteria is eligible to apply:

1. Should have worked with LI-BIRD for east  2 years.
2. Should have experience in working and contributing to agriculture, biodiversity and natural resource management and participatory research and development.
3. Should have group constitution and financial norms.
4. Should have transparent fund mobilization system.
5. The group/Co-operate/CBOs should be of farmers.

• Endorsement of the group should be from LI-BIRD or other concerned organizations.
• Final selection of the awardee is made by the evaluation team of LI-BIRD

Procedure

• Award information along with the application forms and guidelines will be distributed to the field and made available for the groups.
• LI-BIRD field staff will assist the groups in theapplication process.
• The forms filled up by candidates should be recommended by concerned CBOs/farmers group/cooperatives and endorsed/recommended by LI-BIRD staff.
• The applicants will be screened and the Selection Committee will decide the award recipient. The Evaluation Team will use the judging criteria to evaluate the applicantions.
• The selected farmers group will be timely informed and invited to recieve the award on LI-BIRD's day.

View list of Award Winners