History
Ekologie Forte Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated on 18th, January 2011. The company was founded on the principles of Dr. Alexander Daniel, a changemaker in organic farming in India.
In 2011, 2012 and 2013, Ekologie Forte was involved in organizing and training the organic farmers in Marathwada region in Maharashtra. In 2013, the company was able to launch a domestic brand of organic products known as Tito’s Organic. This brand is now marketed in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad. The brand now consists of 60 different dry groceries certified organic products ranging from Cold Pressed Oil, Organic Mango Butter, Organic Feed Ingredients to Organic Moringa Oil, Cane Sugar and Molasses.
On November 2014, the company launched another brand of dry groceries known as “Milawat-Free”. Under this brand, eight dry grocery products are sold. The brand is dedicated to adulteration free products. This brand of product is sold in Mumbai and Pune markets and many Metro cities outside of Maharashtra state as well.
In addition to the above brands, the company, since the inception, has been engaged in selling organic products in bulk to various cosmetic and other brands in India. On January 2016, we were able secure our first export order for the supply of organic grade soy lecithin to a well known international brand. Now, we are exporting a range of organic products that can be found on our product page.
The Legacy of Daniel Family in Organic Production and Processing
Our range of organic products represents the philosophy, vision and belief principles of the Daniel Family. In 1980’s Dr. Alexander Daniel – an agricultural economist trained (Post Doctorate in Agricultural Economics) from the Gokhale Institute of Economics in Pune decided to make Dry and Drought-Prone regions of Maharashtra as his primary focus of organic farming work. He devoted his whole life to uplift and improving the quality and sustainability of farmers lives in Ahmednagar District and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. He provided his skills and knowledge of agricultural economics to the emerging cooperative and political leaders in the region. As a result of his work he was able to lay foundation for the development of farmer’s groups from the marginalized sections of the community. He placed great importance in the formation of women led organizations for production, processing and marketing.
Dr. Alexander Daniel
He identified that the root cause of under development of farming communities in Maharashtra was due to the lack of profitability in farm production. He focused on finding strategies to reduce the costs of cultivation and access markets directly to improve profitability. In his effort to reduce the cost of cultivation, he identified that the cost and dependence on external inputs like seed, pesticides and fertilizers was very high which had a serious impact on the profitability of the farming systems. He further noticed that the proclaimed advantages of these supposedly high quality external inputs did not have any considerable impacts in raising sustainable productivity of the farming systems. Thus the existing conventional system of agriculture was pushing the farmer to a state of perennial loss, loss of livelihood and even leading to farmer suicides. This conviction led him to promote the organic system of production as a system of sustainability, productivity and profitability especially among the small farmers he was working with in Marathwada Region. In order to further increase profitability for farm and farm-based enterprises, he promoted producer companies and producer to consumer direct marketing models. Ekologie Forte is a brand, which represents the involvement of such producer groups in the production and processing of organic products. The benefits are shared with the marginalized sections of the community – the actual producers or processors. Dr. Alexander Daniel passed away on 21st December 2005. His family continues this movement of building sustainable livelihoods for the marginalized sections of the communities in Marthawada region of Maharashtra.
Serving the World
We source pulses from Africa to India with a commitment to livelihood opportunities in Africa through our Pulse Programme. This far-sighted programme for pulse crops seeks to replenish soil nutrients and fortify food security. We also provide sustainable, organic, goat milk skincare and other organic products to our consumers in Africa. Africa is our entrepôt for our ever-expanding frontiers of organic export to Europe and other countries.
Our location in Germany gives us a foothold in the organic value chains of Europe, a burgeoning producer and consumer of organic products.
3. India
We work with our farmer and producer partners in India to build resilient and convivial supply chains. Our work with vulnerable communities, the farmers, tribals and persons with disabilities has assured sustainable livelihoods.
Social Responsibility Programs of Ekologie Forte
We have the following main social responsibility programs to further our social commitment to the stakeholder partners.
Ekologie Forte shares the benefits accrued in the value chain through its sales to the final customers by paying social premiums. These social premiums can be maximum upto 20% and is paid to the federation of our small and marginal farmer’s network known as “Pro-poor Development Forum” (PPDF). These social premiums are used by PPDF for the needs of the community such as – purchase of agricultural implements, improving warehousing facilities and such activities.
Ekologie Forte maintains very high standards for employee engagement. We maintain fair distribution of both genders in the employment without any discrimination towards any community, race or religion. We have equal distribution of both genders working with us. As a primary commitment towards humanity – Ekologie Forte has a positive discrimination policy towards the employment of differently abled and challenged persons. At present almost 50% of our workforce are from such specially abled background.
The children of the farming communities with whom we work do not have access to quality education. Especially after the COVID pandemic, many children have lost almost two years of formal education. Ekologie Forte has now started a “Bridge School” for the affected children from extremely poor situations who have not been able to cope with the formal education system. The Bridge School provides remedial education program for school drop-outs and children with various learning disabilities to enable them to cope with formal schooling program. The focus has been made to have at least 50% intake of girl students. The Bridge School has children from the migrant sugarcane workers and families under extreme poverty situations.