Held at the Pondicherry University Cultural-cum-Convention Centre, Kalapet, the Traditional Organic Farmers Festival 2.0 brought together the farming community, academia and enterprise around a shared goal — catalysing a transition to organic and traditional agriculture across Puducherry and adjacent Tamil Nadu.
Jointly organised by the Puducherry Natural Organic Farmers and Local Farmers Cooperative Society (PNOFLCS) and APSCC, in collaboration with Pondicherry University, the festival ran from 09:00 to 17:30 on 11 September 2025. It set out a clear ambition: to catalyse 50%+ adoption of organic farming in Puducherry and adjacent Tamil Nadu by 2030.
A festival of learning and enterprise
The programme wove together education, exhibition and incubation. Sessions covered sustainable farming techniques, the health benefits of millets, pollution prevention and waste recycling, and traditional culture-based farming — alongside guidance on Government of India schemes supporting organic agriculture.
A regional organic produce display showcased local growers, while a green entrepreneurship incubation track connected startups and stall-holders with mentors and institutions. Together, these strands aimed to build awareness, develop skills, strengthen networks and enhance rural livelihoods.
A coalition of partners
The festival was made possible by a broad coalition spanning cooperatives, universities, government departments and financial institutions — a partnership model designed to move organic farming from the margins into the mainstream:
Aligned with the SDGs
The festival advanced several Sustainable Development Goals — connecting food security and organic agriculture to decent work, responsible consumption, life on land and multi-stakeholder partnership:
Rooting sustainability in Puducherry begins in the soil — when farmers, students, researchers and entrepreneurs choose organic and traditional practices together, a green livelihood transition follows.
Event: Traditional Organic Farmers Festival 2.0 · Pondicherry University Cultural-cum-Convention Centre, Kalapet · 11 September 2025, 09:00–17:30. Registration was free for farmers, INR 150 for students and faculty, and INR 700 for entrepreneur stalls.