Supporting Women Self-Help Groups in India to Process Their Crops and Connect to Market
WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS INDIA, LAKADONG TURMERIC MEGHALAYA, DIGITAL VALUE CHAIN In the mist-covered hills of Meghalaya, a quiet transformation is underway. Women smallholder farmers organised into self-help groups (SHGs) are not just growing Lakadong turmeric. They are processing it, certifying it, and connecting it to premium markets that recognise its exceptional quality. At the Grown Farm Incubator Foundation, this is exactly the kind of change we exist to support. Women Self-Help Groups: The Foundation of Change In North-East India, our programme works directly with women-led self-help groups in Meghalaya, whose members cultivate Lakadong turmeric ; a high-curcumin variety indigenous to the Jaintia Hills and recognised internationally for its superior quality. Organic turmeric from Meghalaya’s women’s collectives already has global buyers waiting, the missing link has been processing infrastructure, traceability, quality compliance, and direct market access. That is the gap we are closing. Our support to these SHGs is holistic and integrated: Why Traceability Is Now the Deciding Factor What’s defining the 2026 market for organic produce is the demand for traceability. Export-facing buyers now want to know which farm cluster a batch of turmeric came from, not just a region stamped on a bag. Certifications that were once a nice-to-have on packaging are now table stakes, and deals are falling through when suppliers cannot produce documentation fast enough. This is precisely why the Grown Farm Incubator Foundation has invested in digitising the value chain. In 2026, we are rolling out NFC Farmer Cards (Near Field Communication cards) linked to each farmer’s individual digital profile, recording: Expanding Beyond Meghalaya In the coming year, the Grown Farm Incubator Foundation is expanding support to more women’s SHGs across North-East India, extending our programmes beyond turmeric into ginger, wild pepper, and other indigenous spices, and moving beyond Meghalaya into Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, where we have already identified SHGs ready to join the programme. Our support in these new geographies will follow the same integrated model that has proven effective in Meghalaya:
