Kamini Singh’s journey is one that began in the halls of some of India’s top research institutions — the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) and the CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP).

As a scientist with years of experience in horticulture, she was deeply immersed in the world of organic farming, making strides in research that had the potential to change the way we think about agriculture.

Yet, despite all her academic achievements, Kamini couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

While working on her PhD, she realised her research seldom reached the hands of the very people who needed it most — the farmers working tirelessly in the fields. Her groundbreaking work, though impressive on paper, wasn’t reaching the grassroots level.

“The insights and innovations born within my lab walls seldom reached the hands of those who needed them most — the farmers,” she shares in a conversation with The Better India.

It was this realisation that pushed Kamini, with 17 years of research experience, to leave behind the lab and take her expertise to the fields of Uttar Pradesh. What followed was a change in career and the beginning of a mission to bridge the gap between research and reality and bring real, lasting change to farmers’ lives.

The moringa magic

In 2016-17, Kamini Singh was entrusted with a critical mission: to lead a project aimed at promoting and training farmers in organic practices across Uttar Pradesh. “During the first 2-3 years, achieving good yields in organic farming is difficult because the soil needs time to rejuvenate and regain fertility without relying on synthetic chemical inputs,” she says.

“While many farmers registered for the initiative to take advantage of government subsidies, they often didn’t follow through with genuine organic practices, resulting in poor returns for their produce,” she adds.

This led Kamini to think about introducing crops that required minimal input but offered high yields. “Moringa, or........

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