In the rural communities, women are the backbone of agricultural workforce, yet they often remain at the margins of decision-making and technology adoption. Changing this narrative is a bold new initiative in India that empowers women to become agripreneurs by equipping them with skills and tools to improve soil health—one of the most critical elements of sustainable farming.

Under this initiative, women are trained as Soil Sakhis—community-level soil health champions. These women are not only learning how to test soil quality using advanced yet easy-to-use portable Soil Sakhi Tool Kits, but also how to interpret results and recommend nutrient management practices to fellow farmers. This shift is creating a ripple effect of knowledge and innovation, placing women at the forefront of a soil health revolution.

Through this initiative, women previously excluded from agricultural decision-making are now operating local soil testing centers, advising farmers, and participating in income-generating activities through service delivery. These empowered women have become catalysts for better soil management, leading to healthier crops, lower input costs, and improved farmer incomes.

To demonstrate the model’s impact, a pilot project was launched in three districts of Jharkhand, India, where women-led Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) now operate instant soil testing centers. The project, initiated by HarvestPlus Solutions in collaboration with Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, Absolute, and ISDG, offers a promising template for scaling women-led agricultural innovation across the country.