Organic Bazaar is an experiment in the alternative marketing of organic products.

Since the time one of our colleagues saw a farmers market abroad, at Thanal we have been dreaming about having a similar thing in Thiruvananthapuram. We were also clear that it wouldn’t be just a farmers’ market but also an Organic market. Our motives were quite clear. We wanted farmers to be self reliant, basically independent of middlemen, we longed for consumers to recognize our farmers and most importantly, we stood for sustainable farming, of a kind that respected nature rather than seeing nature as an adversary to be conquered.

Though the government has set up farmers markets in Kerala, it is not very different from the normal market in that it does not give farmers an identity of their own. Certainly there is no farmer’s market for organic produce. As a matter of fact, there are not even any outlets for organic food in Thiruvananthapuram.

At just the right time, the Institute for Integrated Rural Development in Aurangabad came up with the idea of an Organic bazaar and we decided to join the programme and organize it in Thiruvananthapuram

There are four guiding principles for the Organic bazaar. They are:

1. Environmental stewardship

2. Fair trade

3. Accountability

4. Alternatives