India is a megadiverse country with rich flora and fauna, but the biological diversity is in danger. 387 Indian plant species listed under IUCN Red List. Out of 387 plant species, 77 are ‘critically endangered’.<ol><li>We are depleting the Earth’s natural resources, polluting its air and water, destabilising the climate, and driving many of its species to extinction.</li><li>The total forest cover in India is 80.73* million hectares which forms 24.56%* of the geographical area of the country. The country has lost 1.93 million* hectares of forest cover from 2001 to 2020.</li><li>Tree felling almost doubled between 2016-2019 in India: As per the Data from Environment Ministry, 76,72,337 trees were cut down between year 2016-17 to 2018-19</li><li>Air pollution on rise in Indian cities: The researchers speculated that increases in PM2.5 and NO2 in India reflect increasing vehicle ownership, industrialization and the limited effect of air pollution policies to date</li><li>North India staring at severe water crisis during summer 2021: The High temperatures in North India currently and in summer would worsen the water situation. IMD has declared that the March 2021 temperatures in Delhi were the highest in last 11 years.  </li></ol> FBH is an ecological movement envisioned to create spaces where humans coexist in harmony with Nature. An initiative of Heartfulness Institute to partner with global communities to grow, nurture, protect and conserve native, endemic and endangered tree species while ensuring diversity, sustainability and longevity. Diversity<ul><li>Through multi location enabled mini-forests</li><li>Guidance of several agroforestry scientists, forest officers, academicians, and conservationists</li></ul>Sustainability<ul><li>Focus on native, rear and endangered species</li><li>Diverse plantation style in sync with local ecology</li><li>Support of nationwide nurseries to grow highly resilient saplings</li></ul>Longevity<ul><li>Careful selection of identified land</li><li>Involvement of local community</li><li>Focused aftercare and monitoring using geotagging/satellite imagery/third party audits</li></ul>Our Focus is the creation of Ex-Situ conservation sites of Rare and Endangered Species from India’s Biodiversity HotpotsOur projects and plantation drives have involved participants, volunteers and environment enthusiasts from all walks of life, nationalities, corporations, universities, schools, government including collaborations with other non-profit organisationsForestsByHeartfulness has a large hub and spoke network of 18+ active nurseries across India With Systems, process and related infra in place, FBH aims to rapidly increase production to 200 million saplings across more than 28+ nurseries by 2025 from its current 7.5+ million grown presently across Heartfulness centres, India wide to facilitate localised sapling production <ol><li>Conserve endangered tree species: Most FBH projects have this as a key objective, and several endangered tree species are included during species selection.</li><li>Attract biodiversity: The forests are created with highly diverse tree species, native to that region. This results in a highly biodiverse flora attracting lot of birds, bees, reptiles, and small mammals within 1-2 years.</li><li>Increase in water table: Large FBH projects have witnessed tremendous rise in ground water levels owing to extensive rainwater harvesting and bio-mimicry methods.</li><li>Benefits to local communities: Most projects benefit the local communities through a favorable microclimate, supplying medicinal herbs &amp; plants.</li><li>Sequester CO2: High dense forests are known to sequester more CO2 per unit area than traditional farming.</li><li>Agroforestry: To create additional income source to farmers through tree-based agriculture on farm lands.</li><li>Hill restoration: To green the barren hills of India to restore lost habitat</li></ol>

ForestsByHeartfulness - Creating MiniForests of Indigenous and Native Species Across India

Nilona dam was built 40 year ago in order to supply water to Yavatmal. Gradually, storage capacity got reduced due to large quantity of accumulated silt leading to reduction of water supply to Yavatmal. Afterwards, Prayas took a pledge and carried out desilting project starting from April to June 2015. Team of 50 volunteers at Prayas, Yavatmal worked hard and removed 35,000 trollies silt and were given free to farmers of surrounding villages in order to increase the fertility of their farms. 12,000 citizens had visited Nilona dam for Shramadan. Citizens of Yavatmal contributed Rs. 25 lakh and remaining Rs. 11.43 lakh were provided by government of India. 
 For 2016, target of removing 1 lakh trollies silt has been set and will be distributed to farmers of surrounding villages for no cost. The actual work of desilting has been started on 6th March. Till now, 500+ trollies have been desilted. Our aim is to remove around 1000-1200 trollies silt per day. We will be spreading awareness in Yavatmal about proper water usage along with tree plantation and catchment area treatment so as to reduce the silt accumulation in future. 
 Citizens of Yavatmal have already taken the ownership of the project. The government of India also came forward to work with Prayas on this project. This became the PPP project model, which can be replicated anywhere. The fertility of agricultural field will get improved by use of silt and followed by increasing the farm yield. Also, awareness about proper use and conservation of natural resources will increase. Through awareness programs we intend to sensitize the cause and work on building capacity of our volunteers.

Help in de-silting of Nilona Dam

Climate change is an undeniable reality, primarily driven by the excessive use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Currently, a staggering 80-85% of the world's energy needs are met through fossil energy sources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stresses the urgent need for "drastic" and "immediate" changes in energy consumption to avert catastrophic and life-threatening climate change, which could come at a very high cost. Thankfully, renewable energy, especially solar energy technologies, has evolved into economically and technologically viable alternatives. However, before we embrace any energy solution, including solar energy, it is crucial to grasp the implications of energy generation and consumption on the environment. This is where Energy Literacy Training comes into play. It serves as the foundational level of training, educating individuals about energy usage, generation, and consumption. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of where our energy comes from, how much we use, how much we waste, and the environmental impact of our energy choices. Most importantly, the training equips individuals with the knowledge to adopt sustainable practices and move towards carbon-neutral living. For just Rs. 5/-, we can provide this essential training to one student, empowering them to take meaningful action against climate change.By the year 2024, we envision making 20 million people Energy Literate, enabling them to make informed decisions about energy consumption and contribute to conserving energy and mitigating climate change. Our ultimate ambition is to make the Entire India Energy Literate by the year 2030. Together, we can create a global impact and pave the way for a sustainable future.Join us in this transformative journey by supporting our cause and making a difference in the fight against climate change.Let's build a greener, more sustainable world for generations to come!

Help us make 10 Million people Energy Literate by 2030 towards Climate Action

We work to regenerate ecosystems, restore soil health and transform invasive biomass into climate positive solutions for sustainable agriculture.

Environment

Mati Foundation is a non-profit initiative dedicated to regenerating farmlands, restoring soil health and empowering farmers to transition to sustainable agricultural practices. Rooted in the philosophy that we need to bridge traditional wisdom with modern science to heal the soil, conserve water and build a resilient food system.Key Focus AreasRegenerative Agriculture:Supporting farmers with biological inputs, soil health diagnostics, natural pest control and composting systems including vermicompost, biochar, windrow and Shivansh techniques.Invasive Species to Value:Converting ecological threats like Lantana camara into biochar to enhance soil fertility and carbon sequestration while restoring native biodiversity.Farmer Education:Developing multilingual picturebooks and visual aids to make regenerative agriculture accessible to 10 lakh+ farmers, regardless of literacy level.Women and Youth Empowerment:Creating green livelihoods through compost production, input manufacturing, marketing and training roles.Climate &amp; Carbon Action:Promoting nature based carbon solutions, circular economy models and low emission farming to meet SDG and ESG goals.Our goal is to establish a nationwide ecosystem of regenerative communities where the farmers are stewards of the land, the soils are alive, food is nourishing and rural livelihoods are dignified and climate ready.

Donations through Give Foundation, registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961 are tax-deductible.

Ashok Banerjee

Mati Ecological Foundation

This nonprofit is registered as a charitable trust under section 12A of India's Income Tax Act, 1961.

This nonprofit is registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961. This means you can deduct 50% of the donation you made through your tax return.

Create change with NGOs on Give.do! Explore 3,000+ NGOs dedicated to causes like human rights, animal welfare and healthcare. Your contribution matters!

Find the best NGOs in India on Give.do and Donate to Fundraisers

NGOs Listing page

Mati Ecological Foundation was created to bring cutting edge science and technology to ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture and food safety.A Brief about Regenerative AgricultureWe have been farmers for the last 15 years and organic farmers for most of that time. Unfortunately, these last 15 years have has seen some of the greatest degradation of our food systems with extreme commercialization, completely eroded farmlands and inferior quality across the entire value chain. Fertilizer companies have pushed chemical systems with the sole goal of increasing their bottom line and giant food companies use the cheapest ingredients without any regard for the welfare of their customers.The solution to food safety is to fix the source of our food and help farmers transition to natural systems by increasing the beneficial compounds and nutrient density in foods. Organic system around us have come up short due to lack of adequate knowledge, training, specialized organic fertilizers and pest controls and technology and scientific rigour. We have developed the AgSciTec method of farming to bring a consistent and dedicated effort in transitioning to Regenerative Agriculture.The Issue with some of our Farming NeighboursFarmers in the area surrounding Delhi can be counted among some of the poorest farming communities in India; an irony considering their proximity to India’s wealthiest urban markets like Delhi and Gurgaon. These farmers, constrained by the Delhi Land Reform Act, inherited proprietorship over their land but were denied the right to sell or develop it. There are also a number of immigrant farmers who work these lands with no ownership and opportunity for growth. As a result, their land has remained agriculturally zoned and economically unviable for over 70 years and has been excluded from most government schemes and rural subsidies.These communities are trapped between urban affluence and systemic neglect and are forced to grow low-value crops and rely on the exploitative mandi-based market systems, despite being just a few kilometres from some of India’s most premium organic food buyers.With access to the right tools, knowledge, composting units, market linkages, and regenerative techniques, these farmers could dramatically improve both their incomes and their ecological footprint. By converting these neglected lands into thriving regenerative farms, this initiative will not only uplift hundreds of farmers but also demonstrate how peri-urban agriculture can be a cornerstone of future food security, ecological restoration, and urban health.<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/5b382f8a-bbcd-41db-aefe-14754ee150b7.webp" />What is our AgSciTec method or organic farming?The world is turning against the use of GMO seeds and the most infamous ones have BT genes spliced into crop seeds. Our solution is to just introduce the novel bacteria Bacillus Thurigiensis (BT) into the fields directly and allow nature to do the job. A great many detrimental chemical pesticides belong to a class called Pyrethroids. Our solution is to use the original Pyrethrum which is the oil from the chrysanthemum flower and this works equally well without any significant effect on beneficial insects.This is just the tip of the iceberg for our numerous products and solutions to make organic farming actually viable while also cheaper, profitable, nutritious and regenerative.Short Term Goals (0–18 months)Focused on laying the foundation, capacity building, and initial adoption of regenerative practices.Farmer Training &amp; Initial Transition1. Transition at least 100 farms (over 1000 farmers both directly and indirectly) in the areas between Villages Chawla and Najafgar, New Delhi, to regenerative organic farming.2. Facilitate organic certification, training, and digital advisory through WhatsApp and our own digital platform.Soil &amp; Ecosystem Regeneration3. Establish demonstration plots with soil rejuvenation and water management models.4. Set up composting units (Windrow, Vermi, Shivansh, Biochar) to promote natural fertility.5. Introduce scientific biological solutions for nutrient management, including compost, biofertilizers, and microbial soil enhancers.6. Implement natural pest and disease control methods using biopesticides, companion planting, and integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.Immediate Livelihood &amp; Market Benefits7. Alleviate economic distress among marginalized urban farmers in Delhi-NCR.8. Create direct-to-consumer and B2B market access bypassing mandis and middlemen.Long Term Goals (18 months +)Targeting sustainability, ecosystem-wide benefits, and geographic scaling.Ecological Regeneration &amp; Resilience9. Enhance biodiversity and soil health and strive for a truly regenerative model of growing.10. Promote the use of scientifically validated organic farming practices to preserve the ecology, enhance yield and crop quality.Scalability &amp; National Replication11. Build a model replicable in other peri-urban zones across India.In the WorksMati Ecological Foundation aims to bring about a technology driven revolution in farming by enabling and educating the farmer to move away from chemical farming into one of rediscovering biological pathways and natural systems. Keeping the famer, tradition and science as our core, we help convert the soil profile, find innovative solutions for pest and disease control and increase the beneficial compounds and nutrient density in foods. The founders of Mati Foundation are already working with over 50,000 farmers in central India in their transition to regenerative agriculture.Join us in making a difference to the marginalized, the ignored soil, our fundamental sources of food and the fragile web that keeps the balance in this entire system. Pledge your support, donate now!

Ecological transformation and farmer alleviation through Regenerative Farming

ForestsByHeartfulness - Creating MiniForests of Indigenous and Native Species Across India

Help in de-silting of Nilona Dam

Help us make 10 Million people Energy Literate by 2030 towards Climate Action

Disclaimer