A recent study conducted by United Way Mumbai under the India Climate Action Project (ICAP) revealed that regenerative practices boost soil moisture retention capacity by up to 40% and increase overall agriculture productivity. The study also provided a number of other valuable insights into the ecological and economic outcomes associated with regenerative agriculture practices in drought-prone regions of Maharashtra.

Implemented with support from HSBC, ICAP is a three-year action-based research initiative launched in 2024 to generate evidence and knowledge assets that promote climate-responsive and sustainable agricultural practices across India, with a focus on soil health, water conservation, and biodiversity.

The study, titled "Evaluating the Economic Viability of Regenerative Agriculture in Water-Scarce Regions: Evidences from Marathwada", examined the experiences of farmers adopting regenerative agriculture practices in Dharashiv district, Maharashtra. Beyond assessing ecological indicators, the study explored practical considerations influencing adoption and scalability, including market access, institutional support, and farmer capacity building.

Key observations from the study include:

The study also documented economic benefits reported by participating farmers. Adoption of locally prepared organic inputs such as Jeevamrut and Dashaparni contributed to reductions in cultivation costs, while improvements in soil health and crop resilience helped lower labour requirements and reduce losses from pests and diseases. These findings suggest that regenerative agriculture has the potential to improve farm efficiency while strengthening environmental sustainability in water-stressed regions.

The research further highlights the importance of market linkages, farmer institutions, and capacity-building efforts in supporting the long-term viability and adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. Strengthening collective platforms such as Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) can improve farmers' access to markets and enhance opportunities for value realization.

About United Way Mumbai:

United Way Mumbai is a part of the 130+ year-old United Way movement spanning over 40 countries across the world. Our mission is to improve lives by mobilising the caring power of communities to advance the common good. We work closely with a network of 500+ NGOs and a large number of corporates for their CSR programmes, workplace giving campaigns and other events. This includes designing of CSR policy and strategies, due diligence of NGO partners, programme implementation, employee volunteering, impact assessments and financial and programmatic reporting. Over the past two decades, we have partnered with over 300 companies and over 1,00,000 individual donors investing close to INR 1,352 crore for community development projects. Our expertise lies in identifying, designing and implementing high-impact projects in the areas of Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Climate Action, and Community Resiliency in both urban as well as rural communities across the country.