Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Skill Development and Community Livelihood Advancement in West Bengal

Abstract

Agriculture in India, particularly in West Bengal, faces a series of critical challenges including decreasing farm sizes, lack of modern farming knowledge, migration from rural areas, and low farmer income despite high workforce participation.

Introduction

The Urban Agricultural Skill Development Centre (UASDC) is a proposed facility in West Bengal aimed at addressing challenges faced by small and marginal farmers, who make up 96% of farm families in the state. These challenges include low profitability, shrinking landholdings, lack of modern skills, and limited market access.

Purpose and Vision

UASDC aims to:

• Empower farmers economically through skill development and direct market access.

• Enhance environmental sustainability using climate-responsive design and green infrastructure.

• Promote social inclusivity by engaging youth, women, and marginalized groups, and creating a vibrant urban-rural interface.

Key Features

1. Economic Objectives

• Provide training in modern farming and value-added processing.

• Eliminate middlemen via direct-to-consumer sales.

• Increase farmer income by 20–30% through market access and value addition.

2. Environmental Objectives

• Use sustainable materials (e.g., fly-ash bricks).

• Incorporate rainwater harvesting, bioswales, composting, and biogas units.

• Integrate passive cooling and solar energy systems.

3. Social Objectives

• Design inclusive, accessible spaces (e.g., for persons with disabilities).

• Create community event areas, courtyards, and cultural zones.

• Address safety concerns through thoughtful layout and lighting.

Design Components

• Training Block: For technical education and digital literacy.

• Demonstration Farms & Greenhouses: Showcasing sustainable methods.

• Value-Addition Unit: For food processing and packaging.

• Public Marketplace: Inspired by Delhi Haat and Rythu Bazaar for direct farmer-consumer interaction.

• Green Infrastructure Spine: Inspired by Turkey’s Izmir model.

• Cultural & Event Spaces: For festivals, fairs, and tourism.

Methodology

Uses a mixed-methods approach including:

• Surveys and pilot tests for economic feasibility.

• Environmental simulations for energy, waste, and water planning.

• Participatory workshops for design feedback and community involvement.

Data Highlights

• Small landholding average: 0.77 ha

• Monthly farmer income: ?7,072

• Retail price gap: 30–50% for vegetables

• Urban consumer preference: 68% willing to pay premium for direct farmer produce

• Youth in agriculture: 54%

• Women in SHGs: 62%

Implementation Plan

Phase 1 (Years 1–2): Core training and demo farms
Phase 2 (Years 3–4): Processing units, expanded markets
Phase 3 (Year 5+): Cultural spaces, tourism programming

Expected Outcomes

• Economic: 20–30% income growth, 40% of produce sold directly.

• Environmental: 60% waste diverted, 30% water demand met through sustainable means.

• Social: 50% women participation, 80% user satisfaction.

Overall Impact

The UASDC proposes a transformative solution for rural livelihoods by:

• Bridging the urban-rural divide,

• Making agriculture sustainable and profitable,

• Creating a cultural and educational hub for urban communities, and

• Revitalizing smallholder farming through skill-building, market access, and ecological design.

Conclusion

The Urban Agricultural Skill Development Centre (UASDC) represents a holistic approach to addressing the intertwined economic, environmental, and social challenges facing small and marginal farmers in West Bengal. By eliminating middlemen and creating direct market linkages, it has the potential to significantly enhance farmer incomes while fostering entrepreneurship and value addition. Through targeted training programs, demonstration farms, and access to modern technologies, the UASDC can inspire and retain youth in agriculture, ensuring the continuity of skilled farming practices. Its emphasis on organic and sustainable methods will contribute to environmental resilience, reducing the sector’s ecological footprint. Furthermore, by integrating cultural, educational, and recreational components, the centre can become a vibrant tourist and community hub, strengthening rural–urban linkages and public awareness about agriculture. Together, these interventions position the UASDC as a model for sustainable agricultural development and community-driven economic growth in the region.

References

[1] Agriculture Census. (2019). Agriculture Census 2015–16: All India report on number and area of operational holdings. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. [2] Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). (2022). Price policy for Kharif crops: Marketing season 2022–23. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. [3] Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC). (2019). Annual report 2018–2019. Government of NCT of Delhi. [4] Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2020). Value addition in agriculture. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. [5] Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). (2023). Annual climate summary: Kolkata. Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. [6] Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. (2021). Urban heat island effect in Kolkata: Climate resilience study. Department of Architecture and Regional Planning. [7] Ministry of Rural Development (NRLM). (2022). Annual report 2021–2022. Government of India. [8] National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). (2021). All India rural financial inclusion survey 2021. NABARD Mumbai. [9] National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). (2018). Solid waste management in urban markets: Status and recommendations. CSIR–NEERI. [10] National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). (2019). Situation assessment of agricultural households and land holdings of households in rural India, 2019. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. [11] National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). (2020). Employment and unemployment situation among youth in India. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. [12] Safety Trends and Reporting (SafetiPin). (2022). Safety audit of public spaces in Kolkata. SafetiPin India. [13] The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). (2019). Life cycle assessment of building materials: Fly ash bricks vs. clay bricks. TERI Press.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ar. Shreya Sen. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.