At Urmul Seemant, we believe that farmers are the key changemakers in building resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystems. Our approach goes beyond promoting improved farming practices by strengthening every component of the agricultural value chain. We enable farmers to access microfinance for developing critical agricultural infrastructure and supporting micro-entrepreneurship, creating locally owned enterprises that generate livelihoods while strengthening the rural economy. We promote desert-specific sustainable solutions, including biodigesters, bio-slurry, biochar, and other biofertiliser systems that restore soil health and reduce dependence on chemical inputs. Through horticulture development, climate-resilient farming, and farm-to-market linkages, we help farming families diversify incomes, improve productivity, and access better market opportunities. By integrating finance, technology, natural resource management, enterprise development, and market access, Urmul Seemant is nurturing a community-led regenerative agriculture ecosystem that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and designed specifically for the unique challenges of the Thar Desert bioregion.
Vision 2030
By 2030, Urmul Seemant aims to build one of India's largest community-led regenerative agriculture ecosystems in the Thar Desert by:
- Empowering 30,000 farmer families to adopt sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
- Rejuvenating over 100,000 acres of agricultural land through regenerative soil restoration, biofertilisers, and improved natural resource management.
- Reducing more than 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually through decentralized waste-to-wealth solutions, regenerative farming practices, and renewable energy interventions.
- Developing a thriving network of rural agri-entrepreneurs delivering sustainable agricultural services, bio-inputs, and climate-smart technologies.
- Creating inclusive farm-to-market ecosystems that enable farmers to capture greater value while ensuring long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
Waste to Wealth – Restoring Soil, Providing Clean Energy
Our journey towards regenerative agriculture begins with transforming agricultural and livestock waste into valuable natural resources. Through a community-financed biodigester model, farming households install biodigesters that convert cattle dung into clean biogas for cooking while producing nutrient-rich bio-slurry for agricultural fields. This decentralized waste-to-wealth approach reduces methane emissions, lowers dependence on firewood and fossil fuels, improves household energy access in some of the remotest villages of the Thar Desert, and restores soil health through the regular application of organic biofertilisers. By encouraging community investment, the model creates local ownership and ensures long-term sustainability.
Horticulture – Diversifying Rural Livelihoods
Building on improved soil health, the second stage focuses on income diversification through climate-resilient horticulture. Urmul Seemant is developing horticulture clusters across Bikaner and Phalodi districts, promoting hardy desert species such as Thar Shobha, Ber, and Moringa that are well suited to the arid ecosystem. Alongside new plantation development, we are promoting the grafting of indigenous Ber trees to improve fruit quality, increase productivity, and enhance farmers' incomes while conserving locally adapted genetic resources. This intervention creates sustainable livelihood opportunities while strengthening ecological resilience across the desert landscape.
Microfinance – Enabling Farmers towards Microentrepreneurship
Access to affordable finance is essential for scaling sustainable agriculture. Through community-based microfinance, Urmul Seemant enables farmers and farmer collectives to invest in productive agricultural infrastructure such as farm ponds, tube wells, irrigation systems, and other climate-resilient farm assets. The programme also supports the establishment of microbusiness, creating local entrepreneurs who deliver agricultural services, produce bio-inputs, and strengthen value chains within their communities. By expanding access to finance, we empower farmers to become entrepreneurs, improve productivity, generate rural employment, and build self-sustaining agricultural ecosystems.
Farm School – Innovation, Demonstration & Learning Centre
Established in 2017, the Urmul Seemant Farm School serves as the organisation's Innovation, Demonstration, and Learning Centre for sustainable agriculture in the Thar Desert. More than a demonstration farm, it functions as a living laboratory where new technologies, regenerative farming practices, and climate-resilient interventions are tested, refined, and validated before being scaled across farming communities.
The Farm School integrates traditional knowledge with scientific innovation to develop practical, low-cost, and locally relevant solutions for the desert ecosystem. Every intervention is assessed for its technical feasibility, economic viability, and community acceptance, ensuring that farmers adopt proven solutions with confidence.
By testing innovations before field deployment and strengthening farmers' capacities through experiential learning, the Urmul Seemant Farm School bridges the gap between research and practice, accelerating the adoption of sustainable agriculture across the Thar Desert.
Key Demonstration Areas
- Biodigester Unit for clean energy generation and nutrient-rich bio-slurry production.
- Biofertiliser Production Units, including vermicompost, composting systems, and other organic bio-inputs.
- Climate-Resilient Horticulture, showcasing desert-adapted species such as Ber, Orange, Lemon, Moringa and Thar Shobha, along with grafting techniques for indigenous Ber varieties.
- Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems demonstrating renewable energy solutions for efficient water management.
- Azolla Cultivation as a sustainable, low-cost livestock feed and integrated farming component.
- Regenerative Soil Management through bio-slurry application, biochar, organic nutrient management, and soil health restoration practices.