In the serene hills of Koraput district, Odisha, 37-year-old Tulabati Badanayak is leading a quiet revolution. A tribal farmer and mother of four, Tulabati is one of the many beneficiaries of the Unnati Coffee Project, a joint initiative by ISWAR and Coca-Cola India. Her enthusiasm and commitment to the project are inspiring her fellow villagers to reimagine their future, blending sustainable coffee farming with eco-tourism.
A Family Rooted in Farming
Tulabati lives with her husband, Purna Badanayak, and their four children in a small tribal village surrounded by coffee plantations and natural beauty. Both Tulabati and Purna studied up to the 5th grade and have relied on coffee farming for the last few years to support their family. Their two elder daughters, aged 13 and 8, are enrolled in classes 7 and 2 respectively, while their 5-year-old daughter attends the village Anganwadi. The youngest, a six-month-old boy, completes their family of six.
Last year, Tulabati harvested seven quintals of coffee and sold the raw fruits at ₹52 per kilogram to local traders, earning ₹36,400.
The Turning Point: Unnati Coffee Project
In 2024, the Unnati Coffee Project reached Tulabati’s village, bringing with it hope and opportunity. ISWAR, through extensive training programs, introduced farmers like Tulabati to advanced coffee farming practices, market linkages, and value addition. The initiative guaranteed a minimum price of ₹60 per kilogram for coffee fruits, offering a much-needed financial boost.
Moreover, ISWAR trained the villagers in post-harvest processing techniques like cherry-making and pulping, which transform raw coffee fruits into parchment, fetching higher prices. Tulabati quickly adopted these practices, realizing their potential to increase her income. She has started pulping her coffee fruits, which will allow her to earn significantly more from her harvest.
Integrating Coffee with Eco-Tourism
The Unnati Coffee Project’s scope extended beyond farming to include eco-tourism. Tulabati’s village, blessed with a pristine stream and a beautiful waterfall just 150 meters from the settlement, attracts tourists during the winter from various parts of Odisha. However, this tourism brought challenges: littering, pollution, and broken glass bottles not only marred the environment but also posed risks to villagers’ health, livestock, and agriculture.
ISWAR organized a three-day capacity-building program in the village to address these concerns. The villagers brainstormed and devised a plan to integrate coffee farming with eco-tourism, transforming the problem into an opportunity.
A Collective Effort for Change
The villagers united, contributing free labour to clean the entire village, the stream, and the area surrounding the waterfall. They also built a pathway through the coffee plantations, offering tourists a guided experience of the coffee plantation. Tourists have begun responding positively to the villagers’ efforts, adhering to requests to keep the area clean and showing enthusiasm for the coffee plantation tours.
Tulabati is particularly proud of this initiative, as her village is now poised to become the first in Odisha to promote coffee-based tourism. Visitors are willing to pay for plantation tours, and this additional income will supplement the villagers’ earnings from coffee sales.
A Bright Future Ahead
Tulabati is optimistic about earning an extra ₹25,000 this year. She plans to reinvest part of this income into maintaining her coffee plantation and use the rest to improve her children’s health and education.
Tulabati sums up her journey with a smile:
“Unnati Coffee Project is a blessing for me. It has given us a way to earn more and protect our environment. I am hopeful this project will transform our small village and secure a brighter future for my family.”
Her story is a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives and sustainable practices, proving that with the right support, even small villages can achieve big dreams.
