Background

Climate change has injected precarity into our ecosystems and caused instabilities that demand redressal through civic engagement. With the sixty to forty-five percent forecasted decrease in green cover in the Indian subcontinent by 2030 owing to rapid deforestation and global warming, the time is ripe for pursuing environmentally sustainable strategies. Agricultural activity is the bread and butter of many Indian citizens, and farmers as well as consumers struggle to protect their crops as droughts become regular guests.

Rooted in innovative thinking and a keen awareness of the urgency of mitigating such issues, I created a product to proliferate the growth of plants in compressed spaces in July 2018. Inspired to use waste materials such as plastic, reused water, and manure, I invented the patented product, Agronics Culture that won the Generation-Z budding Science project event at my school, Chitkara International School. Allowing urban populations to grow a variety of spices, vegetables, and herbs, such as Neem, Chili, Mint, Brinjal, and Tulsi, I wanted to promote a shift to self-grown organic consumption to reduce the carbon footprint from industrially manufactured products. As I conducted surveys in flats in Chandigarh and analyzed plants, spices, and herbs before beginning, I knew I wanted to take my efforts forward and expand the reach of my innovations.

Drawing from this context, my social initiative, Down to Earth was born in January 2023.