Lenovo's 'Work for Humankind' is a global initiative demonstrating how digital access can empower us to do what is right for people and our planet. We were tasked to identify the local project (idea) for India under the aegis of Work for Humankind, in 2023.

The brief for India had three objectives:

- Identify and execute a genuine cause with scope for technology to bring positive change for people and the planet that brings together a multi-stakeholder ecosystem, including their employees

- Establish a self-sustaining model which can drive long-term impact even after the exit of the company, after eight months

- Demonstrate how technology and digital access can bring remote areas and communities - with limited digital access, in touch with a wider world for socio-economic development

Reviving six millet varieties and establishing market linkages paving the way for revival of all varieties within 8 months. Honoring the significance of these "first foods" for tribal communities, we reintroduced memories, recipes, and sustainable farming practices to a region unaware of the global promotion and consumption of grains they had stopped growing.

Diverse stakeholders including farmers, local councils, Women self-help group, NGOs, local government, educational institutions (IHRD college) and AI data start-ups (Samudra Network + Agri App) collaborated on a farm-to-kitchen prototype, enabling 25 volunteer farmers to revive millet cultivation, creating their brand called ‘Kanthalloor Millets’ and establishing necessary market linkages with homestays, Govt. schools and e-commerce (Mystore).

Identified milestones targeting local media, culminating in national coverage through a familiarisation tour. Nutrition influencers and millet revivalists joined in, attracted by the project's story. Identifying individuals aligned with the cause, especially within the farming community, was crucial for success.

Insight: Digital exclusion disconnects Kanthalloor’s tribal farmers from the potential of cultivating superfood millets during the International Year of Millets, 2023.

Message: Lenovo's WFH initiative helps Kanthalloor revive lost millet varieties, establishing a tech-based prototype and market linkages.

Target Audience:

Farmers

Local Government (administrative, agricultural, tourism, forest department)

Women Self-Help Groups, NGOs

Homestay Owners Association

Student Volunteers

Assets for farmers, women self-help groups(SHG) and student volunteers:

Lenovo Digital Center at IHRD College: facilitated technology access and peer learning

Digital empowerment via Motorola devices: access to apps and knowledge resources

Digitized value chain with Samudra Network and Agri App: digital integration in millet cultivation

Local village meetings: digital literacy, financial access training

Processing center run by Kudumbashree SHG: Millet processing, packaging, timely payments to farmers, setting up a seed bank and data collection on Lenovo tablets

Specialized sessions by Mini Srinivasan of Milletology Pvt.Ltd. on best practices, branding of 'Kanthalloor Millets'

The Public Relations stakeholder engagement campaign was conducted in three phases with the aim of establishing a sustainable and scalable prototype within the community

Sowing the Idea (Jan- April 2023): Identified stakeholders and outlined the entire action plan.

Cure Monastery- a home stay in the region became the hub for the project where we met the farmers, Panchayat (local governing body), Principal- IHRD college and other key stakeholders.

Nurturing the Idea (June- September 2023): Inducted the volunteers, launched Lenovo’s Digital Center for Kanthalloor Millets, organized village meetings organized by Gaon Connection and influencer engagement.

Reaping the Results (October- December 2023) - Launched the processing center for ‘Kanthalloor Millets’, created the brand logo and design collaterals, worked with millet expert to create recipes to market with homestays, established sales kiosks in 10 homestays, partnered with Samudra Network and Agri App to digitize the value chain and be accessible to 19k zipcodes.

Direct Impact in 8 months:

Millet cultivation across 15 acres produced nearly 2 tons, marking a 5x increase over self-consumption yields.

Priced at 0.72 USD/kg, 6 millet varieties generated an extra 1200 USD in collective income for 25 farmers, with 25 more expressing interest in starting millet farming.

Additionally, 300 farmers were digitally empowered through the Lenovo Digital Center promoting technological inclusion in farming practices.

The Homestay Owners Association offered support, providing 4-6 acres of land and labour assistance under MNREGA (Government Scheme) for millet cultivation.

'Kanthalloor Millet', currently selling at 10 homestays will expand to over 50

Project partners Samudra Network and Agri App digitised the millet farming chain, offering data insights to farmers for sustainable farming in the next cycle.

Over 1600 hours of volunteering by Lenovo employees, students, and the community have empowered tech-unfamiliar farmers to embrace technology at the Lenovo Digital Center, utilising smartphones and other devices.

Government schools in Kanthalloor will serve millet-based meals to 1000 children, boosting their nutrition and overall health.

EARNED MEDIA VISIBILITY: Secured 145 clips overall across mainstream and regional media with 302 mn impressions.

In December 2023, a Familiarisation trip marked the project's culmination, hosting esteemed media such as ET Hospitality, Press Trust of India, Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express, Outlook Planet, Kisan Tak, and Business India.

The story of Kanthalloor's millet revival, led by Lenovo, was shared on Lenovo's digital platforms and through engagements with influencers, radio, and content media, amplifying engagement and reach.