1.2 crore trees will be planted this year through Kaveri calling campaign, changing the lives of farmers

Through the ‘Save Soil – Cauvery Calling’ campaign, 13.4 crore trees have been planted so far and 2.6 lakh farmers have been helped to adopt tree-based farming. The campaign is targeting to plant 1.2 crore saplings in 2026-27 as it continues its large-scale environmental and livelihood-support initiatives. Conceptualized by Sadhguru, ‘Save Soil – Cauvery Calling’ is a farmer-led environmental campaign with the main objective of rejuvenating the Cauvery River as well as improving the income of farmers through tree-based farming.

Kaveri, a river fed by forests, is seriously drying up. In the last 70 years, its water flow has reduced by more than 40 percent and its original tree cover has been destroyed by 87 percent. To solve this problem, the aim of this campaign is to plant 242 crore trees on private agricultural land.

Addressing a press conference, Anand Ethirajalu, project director of ‘Save Soil – Cauvery Calling’, said, ‘Thirteen crore trees are not just a number. It represents 2.6 lakh farmers who have changed the way they do farming forever. This shift from monoculture to tree-based farming will determine whether the Kaveri River will continue to flow throughout the year in the coming decades. When policies and farmers come together, India can revitalize its soils, replenish its water resources and secure rural livelihoods in a single bold step.’

Less dependence on fertilizers and pesticides

Anand said that ‘Cauvery Calling’ is one of the three major grassroots initiatives being taken forward under the broader ‘Save Soil’ campaign. The second initiative, ‘Save Soil Regenerative Revolution’, focuses on training farmers in scientific regenerative farming and the third initiative, ‘Save Soil Farmers Movement’, which organizes farmers into ‘Farmer Producer Organizations’ (FPOs) to increase their market access and economic empowerment. Together, these three initiatives address soil health, farmer livelihoods and rural issues through a combination of training, technical support and community-based engagement.

He said, ‘By adopting practices like reduced tillage, mulching and cover cropping, I was able to improve the organic carbon level of the soil in my farm to a great extent. I also transformed my coconut monoculture farm into a diverse, multi-tiered ‘food forest’, including wood, pepper and fruit crops. These methods reduced dependence on fertilizers and pesticides, and also made farms more capable of facing disasters like drought and floods. As a result, the income from my farm has also increased six times in the last few years.

Asia’s largest ‘single-site nursery’

Making good quality plants available on a large scale is the main focus of this effort. The production infrastructure of this operation includes Asia’s largest ‘single-site nursery’ in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, which is entirely run by women and has a capacity of 85 lakh plants. Apart from this, there is also a second nursery in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, which produces 15 lakh more saplings. Anand further said, ‘These two nurseries together supply saplings to 45 distribution centers across Tamil Nadu and 8 in Karnataka. We offer 54 different types of plants, including 29 valuable species of wood. These include teak, red sandalwood, rosewood and mahogany. “Wooden saplings are available to farmers at a subsidized rate of Rs 5, while the price of fruit and flower saplings is only Rs 10.”

Kaveri Calling has deployed over 200 field executives to support its adoption at the grassroots level. He has visited more than 26,500 farms in 2025 alone and has given free advice from before to after planting trees. These include assessment of soil type, soil depth and water status. Besides, suggestions are also given regarding the suitable tree species for that area based on the agro-climatic conditions and the income cycle of the farmers.

225 active WhatsApp groups

Anand further said, ‘This campaign connects farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), NGOs, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Gram Panchayats and agricultural fairs. This helps in spreading awareness about tree-based farming and its adoption. More than 60,000 farmers are supported through 225 active WhatsApp groups, where they get instant advice. There is also a special helpline, which is operational every day from 9 am to 9 pm. This helpline responds to farmers’ queries within 24 to 48 hours, using information from experts and successful farmers.