Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Thanal promotes and supports a sustainable form of agriculture which ensures:
- Restoration and Protection of biodiversity and the environment
- Enhanced incomes for farmers and their families
- Food safety and security for consumers and the public at large
Our work involves not only projects on the ground, but also advocating changes in government policies. We currently run projects in Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad and Palakkad in Kerala.
Save Our Rice Campaign, Promotion of organic farming, Organic Bazaar and Centre for Agroecology and Environment Studies in Wayanad are some of our current projects.
Along with other organisations in Kerala, Thanal strongly campaigned for keeping Kerala free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), leading to the Kerala government declaring the state ‘GM-Free’ in 2007. Thanal also supported the state governments efforts to develop a robust policy for organic farming in Kerala.
Finance Management
It is an internal programme for ensuring financial stability and growth of Thanal. This department take cares of book keeping, accounting, finance control and fund raising.
Thanal is in an evolving process. We are developing the policies, guidelines and protocols related to Fianance Management. We will be making it available as soon as they are ready. We hope that these documents will help people and institutions to who will be interested in partnering with Thanal.
Administration and Institution Development
Administration and Institution Development is an internal programme for Thanal Team to build systems and practices which will ensure sustainability, growth and development of Thanal as a model institution. This process will build confidence in Thanal Team to work towards the vision of Thanal.
Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development is a programme of Thanal to develop capacity within Thanal Team to improve the efficiency to achieve the mission of Thanal. It also extends the services to social enterprises and community projects associated with Thanal as well as volunteers, interns and researchers who associate with Thanal.
Network, Alliance and Outreach
Across the globle people are fighting for a toxic free peaceful world for their sustenance. Sustainability of human race is at stake due to the multitude and gravity of challeges surface almost on a daily basis. But there are people out there who are trying to make a difference. There are people who want to get engaged in to save this world. Thanal is trying to provide a platform for networking of individuals and organizations for the exchange of information, experience and know-hows.
Network Alliance and Outreach is an initiative by Thanal to build capacity in organizations and people especially among youth to equip them to work towards a toxic free and sustainable world. Information exchange, training, mentoring and networking are the major functions of this programme.
Zero Waste and Climate Action
Thanal focus on promotion of sustainable resource use and management for ensuring equitable development and toxic free world. Ethics, Efficiency and Economics – the 3Es are the guiding principles. It suggests ethical use of resources for the larger good and sustenance. It reiterates the need for a social change to imbibe the ways of nature for survival and sustainability. Being ethical means having concerns for other human beings as well as the Mother Nature. The scarce resources have to be wisely utilized. People have to be efficient in resource utilization, resource conservation. Sustainable materials have to be identified, efficient production techniques have to be devised, and mindful consumption pattern have to be followed. Economics is the result of ethical and efficient utilization of resources. Economy is not mere private profit. It means more livelihoods, more jobs and inclusive growth. Zero Waste, Clean Production, Extended Producer Responsibility, Resource Recovery..
The canvass of Zero Waste is broadened with Climate Action work which is focussed towards building Climate resilience. The programme advocates for ‘Low Carbon’ and or ‘Carbon Neutral’ cities / villages programme. Provides technical and research support for local self governments to achieve carbon resilience.
Thanal has set off in this direction through this programme towards its vision People, Planet, Sustainability.
Living Ecosystems
The current ‘Development’ paradigm unfortunately do not consider the totality of eco systems which supports lives and livelihoods of people. The engines of ‘Development’ which are motivated by temporary profits disregard just and equitable right over the natural resources. The piece meal approach in managing land without considering the ecosystems of which they are part of it leads to environmental disaster and social conflicts. Living Ecosystems is a programme of Thanal, where it tries to sensitize public and policy makers in land use so as to conserve the eco systems which harbors millions of people and their livelihood. Through policy advocacy and campaign, Thanal contributed for the formulation of Wetland and Paddy land conservation programmes and policies in Kerala. Currently Thanal is following the debates over Western Ghats.