The Neem Project: Creating Sustainability

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNFC) has been awarded the Porter Prize in the category of “Creating Shared Value”, a prestigious award from the Institute of Competitiveness in affiliation with Harvard Business School, for their Neem Project. So far, this project has directly worked with over 225,000 rural women to provide direct employment and indirect employment for another 75,000, creating a total income of over $3.9 million.

According to Dr. Gupta, who received the award for GNFC, they have set up over 2,200 neem seed collection centers that are accessible to over 4,000 villages in Gujarat. According to a survey completed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from November 2016, the project has been successful, increasing women’s income by 56% as well as a reduction in domestic violence cases. As it was recently announced, the project is set to expand into six other states within India. There will eventually be 7,000 centers in Gujarat and 11,000 across the country.

The women supported by the Neem Project are helping to implement the goal of 100% neem-coated urea, set by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narenda Modi, that is now required in India through their seed collection. This has allowed centers to produce neem oil, while creating a unique opportunity for rural, low-income women to support themselves, some using the money to pay for education opportunities that were not available to them before. This will also allow GNFC to use the extra neem oil created in future products!

The Neem Project shows the potential of big business, government, and socio-economic needs of citizens, working together in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly manner. From the success of this project, it is obvious that neem has the potential not only to save the environment through its sustainable and non-toxic properties, but also through creating unique and valuable economic opportunities for low-income communities.