We are living in a time when people have a second thought while choosing fruits or vegetables as those are mostly full of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which can create havoc on human health. The worst part is such a frightening issue is not getting enough attention. With the futuristic idea of Seema Dholi, Farm2Kitchen has come up with an innovative way of delivering uncompromised healthy and organic food for the ultimate health benefits.
The Linchpin of the Healthy journey
Born and brought up in Allahabad, Seema Dholi is a proud mother and an avid traveler, who has traveled a lot and has lived in the US, Japan and UK where she explored the benefits of organic food for a healthy lifestyle. The journey of Farm2Kitchen started in the year 2008 when Seema was looking for organic food for personal use in the United States of America. Facing the difficulty to find good food in a developed country, she realized the problems faced by people in India. “This led us to the deep study of the agricultural systems, the market and the buying behavior of people in our home country” she indicates.
Serving Organic Food with Convenience
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
To serve people better in small towns and localities, Farm2Kitchen came up with Farm2Kitchen Stores, the retail chain for the easy availability of good foods. Seema shared her experience “We launched these stores in three states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Haryana and are working with a large number of farmers. We started helping them by exporting there farm produce to Gulf countries and Southeast Asian countries.” Today the brand is growing its agricultural business which is helping the farmers to get the right price for their produce and also helping the consumers to get organic foods.
All Farm2Kitchen products are purest in its form, cultivated and harvested by organic farming as per the regulations of International Organic Production Standards. “The organic foods we offer are grown in organic farms which have rich soil, fresh water, and clean air, and so we’re committed to doing our part to protect the health of our planet. We make it our responsibility to take on important issues, like supporting organic farming practices and honest labeling, so you can be sure that the products you buy from Farm2Kitchen are authentic” utters Seema.
Incorporation and Initial Struggle
Farm2Kitchen started the experiment of delivering fresh vegetables and fruits to few localities in Gurgaon in February 2011. The appreciation of the effort made the brand look beyond one city and expand its operations in multiple cities across India in January 2012, almost one year after its initiation. Seema joyfully declares, “We joined hands with one of the leading growers of organic foods in India to serve major cities and towns across the country. The move was challenging and rapid expansion was not possible as the grocery delivery is not a cake walk in a diverse country like India. We had our ups and downs during this journey.”
The initiation is spreading at a rapid pace in India linking farmers and the consumers from other parts of the world as well. Farm2Kitchen is not novice in the game and that has reflected in its awards won over the years. In 2016, at the Digital India Summit Awards, Farm2Kitchen belonged to the Top three organizations in India in the category of “Good for India-Agricultural Solutions“.
Healthy Food and Current Experiments
“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”
The above saying is one of the most vital words spoken, when it comes to good and healthy food. Healthy food need not always be costly. India has a vast treasure of tribal diversity and traditional knowledge, and agriculture can sustain only if it has a long-term economic viability. Agriculture is the main source of employment for rural people, and Farm2Kitchen is marching to future, keeping all these aspects keeping in mind.
Avoiding health issues and remaining healthy in a long run has become crucial. The excess use of fertilizers as well as pesticides and changes in lifestyle and in food habits are creating a number of health issues. Farm2Kitchen recognizes the situation and doing its bit to make a difference, in a way so that it can benefit the common people as well as the farmers.
Farm2Kitchen is working with farmers groups in the Western Maharashtra and has plans to extend the same across India to promote organic farming associations with the help of agricultural officers from Govt institutions and agronomists. Seema said, “We are trying to impart scientific knowledge about organic farming practices among farmers.”
Encouraging the Budding Entrepreneurs
Being such a successful entrepreneur Seema has an immense knowledge of making a small initiative a mammoth. Thus she proposes the entrepreneur to care deeply about solving a problem. “If you look around, you will find so many problems which still need to be solved. Focus on solving a problem more than anything, and the half war will be won” and the remaining can be achieved by dedication and intelligence.
Foreseeing a Healthy Future
Farm2Kitchen is introducing Farm2K Blockchain platform, utilizing the Blockchain technology of distributed ledger and smart contracts to bring all the participants in the supply chain including the farmers, transporters, distributors, processed food brands, wholesalers, retail stores and other food outlets on a single hybrid platform. It is a secure and incorruptible infrastructure, as all actions are registered in a Blockchain.
Farm2K Blockchain is the brainchild of a highly proficient team of experts with a wealth of experience in Agriculture, Food Distribution and Technology industries. The idea is to empower smallholder farmers by providing them the data to plan the crop right, thus improve their revenue, enable them to provide better value to consumers and reduce food wastage due to oversupply, and to curve a better and healthier tomorrow.
Source :-The 10 Best Customer Friendly Food Startups in India
