I n the western Indian state of Maharashtra, the predominance of water-intensive cash crops often leaves farmers exposed to climate shocks such as poor monsoon seasons.

Along with the women in the community, Swayam Shikshan Prayog created the “one-acre” Climate Resilient Farming model: women borrow a parcel of land, one acre or less, from their families, to cultivate food crops for their families instead of only water-intensive cash crops like soybean and sugarcane. Rural women from small-scale farmer households, who are often not recognized as farmers in their own right, were transformed from laborers to leaders in agriculture.

Swayam Shikshan Prayog won the GCA Local Adaptation Champions Awards in the capacity and knowledge category. The #LLAChampions Awards recognized four winning organizations for their pioneering work in leading climate change adaptation for vulnerable local communities.