Vanastree is a farming and conservation project registered in 2008, in
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...
, in the Indian state of
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
.
In
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
, Vanastree means "Women of the Forest".
As of 2013, Vanastree numbered 150 women
farming sustainably and it promotes
seed exchange.
By 2017, Vanastree products were available for sale in
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
, the capital of Karnataka.
The same year, Vanastree was awarded the
Nari Shakti Puraskar
The Nari Shakti Puraskar () is an annual award given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India to individual women or to institutions that work towards the cause of women empowerment. It is presented by the presi ...
in recognition of its achievements.
The Vanastree garden in
Sirsi has saved seeds from over 100 types of vegetables.
Sisters Mala and Sonia Dhawan worked with Vanastree and then set up the handicrafts organisation A Hundred Hands.
References
{{Nari Shakti Puraskar
2008 establishments in Karnataka
Nari Shakti Puraskar winners