The Growing Need for Agri-Entrepreneurship in Farming Communities

Agriculture today extends well beyond the farm. It covers the full range of food production and distribution, from farming and processing to marketing and retail, involving many different stakeholders at every step. For smallholder coffee farmers, understanding this broader system and finding a place within it is essential to building more stable and profitable livelihoods.

Entrepreneurship is one of the most direct ways to strengthen rural economies. When farmers develop entrepreneurial skills, they are better placed to increase productivity, reduce costs, connect to markets, and build businesses that can grow over time. For this to happen, young people in farming communities need structured support, practical knowledge, and the right tools.

This is where Fairtrade NAPP and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) came together. Ranked No. 1 in the latest ARIIA Rankings and recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, EDII brings over four decades of experience in building entrepreneurial skills, with particular focus on the agriculture sector.

In March 2026, ten young coffee producers from Fairtrade-certified communities in Kerala and Karnataka took part in a three-day training programme at the EDII campus in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The programme was funded by Fairtrade Austria. Participants returned with business plans, practical skills, and a clearer understanding of the opportunities available to them within the coffee value chain.

The training combined classroom sessions with industry visits, group exercises, and hands-on activities to help participants build knowledge and skills in agri-business and entrepreneurship. Participants came from seven producer organisations:

• Wayanad Agricultural Society (WAS)
• Sushira Sangeetha Parivara
• Empower Coffee Areas Wayanad (ECAW)
• Forum For Fairtrade Organic Agri Betterment (FFOAB)
• Malenadu Savayava Krishi Parivar
• WSSS Organic Farmers Fairtrade Association (WOFFA)
• Sahyadri Organic Small Farmers Consortium (SOSFC)

By the end of the programme, all participants reported an improvement in their knowledge. Knowledge assessments conducted before and after the training showed an average improvement of nearly 16%, with some individuals improving by as much as 72%. Seventy-three percent of participants said they felt fully confident to apply what they had learned in real-world contexts.

Key Learnings for Youth Participants

• Understanding entrepreneurship and the agri-business ecosystem

Sessions on the Essence of Entrepreneurship and the Agri-business Ecosystem helped participants understand how markets, suppliers, and support systems interact in agriculture. An Entrepreneurial Tendency Test, a psychometric assessment, gave each participant a clearer picture of their own strengths and areas to develop as potential agri-entrepreneurs.

• Exploring innovation and technology in agriculture

A session on Agri-Innovation and Technology introduced participants to modern tools that are reshaping how farming works. This was reinforced through visits to two real businesses. At the Rise Hydroponic Farming Unit in Gandhinagar, participants saw soil-less, resource-efficient farming at commercial scale, and understood how a start-up in this space can grow from a small setup into a large commercial operation. At the Drone Lab Technologies centre in Ahmedabad, they learned how drones are used in crop monitoring, precision spraying, and aerial mapping, and explored the business opportunities this technology is opening up in agriculture.

• Building a business model from their own ideas

Participants worked through Design Thinking and Ideation sessions to learn how to identify problems and develop solutions. They then used the Business Model Canvas to translate their ideas into a structured format, covering customer segments, revenue streams, and cost structures. A session on Marketing for Agribusiness further helped them understand market linkages, customer targeting, and value propositions. Each participant presented their business model to EDII faculty, who provided feedback to help them refine and strengthen their plans.

• Developing leadership and teamwork skills

A dedicated session on Team Building and Leadership in Entrepreneurship brought participants together to strengthen collaboration, communication, and decision-making. Structured group discussions and simulation exercises helped them think not only as individual entrepreneurs, but as people who could work collectively within their producer communities to build agri-enterprises.

In Their Own Words

“I would especially like to highlight the industrial visits, which were extremely valuable. We visited a hydroponic farm with multiple automated polyhouses, which gave us a clear understanding of modern farming techniques. Additionally, our visit to the drone technology lab was very informative. We learned about drone technology, the science behind it, and how drones can be effectively integrated into agriculture to improve farming practices.”

- Koustubha Hegde, 23, Sushira Sangeetha Parivara, Karnataka
 

“One of the best parts was the teamwork. We had great collaboration and learned how to work effectively as a group. The sessions also helped me gain a better understanding of entrepreneurship and improved my knowledge in this area.”

- Pratyush Raghavendra Shastri, 19, Malenadu Savayava Krishi Parivar, Karnataka
 

“The programme was very well organised by the team. The sessions were highly informative and provided valuable learning for all of us.”

- Arun Sunny, 23, Wayanad Agricultural Society, Kerala

Looking Ahead

The future business plans shared by participants at the end of the programme reflected a strong pull toward agriculture and organic farming ventures, including coffee, dairy, and farm-based enterprises. Several participants also expressed interest in technology-driven approaches, including drone-based agricultural services, signalling growing interest in innovation within farming communities.

With seven of the participating producer organisations now adopting youth leadership programmes, this training represents a concrete step in building the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs within Fairtrade coffee communities in India. Fairtrade NAPP continues to work alongside producer organisations and young farmers across the region to create the conditions for young people to strengthen their businesses and their communities.