SAI provides end-to-end solutions to small farmers by bringing them into small groups, building their capacities, procuring and providing quality inputs as per their needs, together with technical support with direct access to finance and market. With a low-cost one-acre agroforestry model, the farmers gain income, food, and nutritional security from the produce. They also become valuable business partners in the corporate value chain by supplying agro-industries with crucial raw materials. 

After the farmers have kept a certain amount of harvest for their subsistence, SAI assists them in doing the value addition, packaging, and marketing.

SAI has established a manufacturing unit in Dasmantpur block of Koraput district in Odisha, which is managed by the tribal women entrepreneurs. Around one lakh ragi laddoos are supplied monthly to the government schools under the mid-day meal programme under the trade name “SAI Tribal Traditions”.

SAI model is validated by the Indian Government (NITI Aayog) and recognised by a donor platform (SEED Uno) at the international level as a proven business model with potential to be adopted in the African market for its relevance to achieve economic, social, and environmental impacts.

SAI won the BRICS Solution Awards, 2021, in the SDG-2 (Zero Hunger) category. SAI has also been selected by the World Economic Forum among the 13 innovators which can contribute to the Indian government in achieving its afforestation and SDG targets by 2030. SAI also won the best Start-up Award from FICCI.  

SAI Agroforestry model has been published in the International Journal of Advance in Engineering and Management; Acumen and Rabo Foundation’s report on Climate Resilience in India; SAGE Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies; Trafigura Foundation, Switzerland; and SEED Uno, Germany. 

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