How 2 Friends Helped 70000 Farmers Cut Costs, Ditch Chemicals & Grow Healthier Crops

Every harvest season, Hemraj waited with unease. The cotton and fruit farmer from Yenikoni village would pour money into fertilisers and pesticides, only to see his crops fail to match the costs. Scarcity of water added another layer of strain.

“Earlier, costs were very high due to overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, while yields were often low. Water scarcity was also a big challenge. All this made farming financially stressful and sometimes unviable,” he recalls.

For years, the cycle seemed endless. The land that had sustained his family for generations now left him anxious about whether it could still secure their future. Farming no longer carried dignity. It felt like a gamble where the odds were stacked against him.

That worry began to ease when Hemraj joined a small group of farmers trying regenerative practices. At first, he was sceptical. Methods like reduced tillage, cover cropping, or preparing organic inputs at home sounded unfamiliar and risky. But with patient demonstrations, he agreed to try.

“Since joining the programme, our costs have gone down and yields have improved. Fertiliser and pesticide use have reduced, while practices like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and enriched composting have improved soil health. On average, yields are increasing by 15–20 percent while input costs have reduced significantly. The net result is higher income and less financial pressure.”

How one harvest won over the village

He now grows cotton using High Density Planting Systems and has noticed a clear difference at market time. “At first, these methods seemed difficult, but once demonstrated, we realised they are practical and affordable. The quality of crops like cotton, oranges, and vegetables has noticeably improved, making it easier to sell in the market.”

Today, Hemraj invites neighbouring farmers to see his fields for themselves. “I regularly invite neighbouring farmers to visit my fields so they can see the results firsthand. When they notice healthier crops and better yields without additional costs, they naturally become curious and motivated to try. Word of mouth is powerful; once one farmer succeeds, the entire community takes notice.”

For him, the confidence this shift has brought is immeasurable. “Earlier, the heavy reliance on chemicals made us worry about costs and even health issues. Now, we see healthier soil, better produce, and reduced expenses. We believe this approach will secure not just our future but also protect the health of our families and the environment. Farming now feels sustainable and worth continuing.”

The question that changed two lives

For farmers like Hemraj, the struggle was clear. Even with schemes and sustainability drives, many felt worse off than before. Their costs kept climbing, while soil and water grew weaker.

“In spite of all the sustainability initiatives going on, the farmers are probably worse off than what they were earlier. That was the biggest worry for us,” recalls Amol Mishra, who co-founded Beetle Regen Solutions with his colleague and long-time friend, Hemant Rajput.

Guided by this shared concern, the two began visiting farmers’ fields in Khargon, Madhya Pradesh. In 2023, they launched their company with a bold mission: to put farmers first.

On one hot afternoon, Amol stood with a group of cotton farmers as they tested something new. Instead of burning crop residue, they were turning it into biochar, a soil enhancer that can lock carbon away for centuries. Many of the farmers, long used to the cycle of burning and sowing, watched with cautious optimism.

For Amol and Hemant, the moment was more than an experiment. It was a glimpse of what farming in India could look like—resilient, profitable, and rooted in regeneration.

Why trust is the hardest crop to grow

In just over a year, Beetle Regen has worked with nearly 70,000 smallholder farmers across more than 1,00,000 hectares, from cotton fields in Maharashtra to paddy belts in Andhra Pradesh. All of these farmers are actively practising regenerative methods under Beetle Regen’s framework, which certifies that the practices are consistently applied.

“Whenever somebody comes from outside and starts preaching, there is hesitation,” Amol admits. Agriculture is tied to tradition, and change rarely comes quickly.

This is where field managers like Deepak step in. His work begins early each morning. “A typical day starts with field visits where we interact with farmers directly, either on their farms or in group meetings. We discuss the crop stage and practices needed at that time, moving from field to field, checking soil conditions, observing pest or disease symptoms and guiding farmers on regenerative methods,” he explains.

Much of his day is spent on awareness building — breaking down scientific concepts into everyday language. For Deepak, the biggest challenge is trust. 

“The most significant challenge is breaking away from decades of dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Convincing them to try natural alternatives like neem ark, Jivamrut sprays, or biochar requires patience and repeated demonstrations. Another challenge is the lack of immediate visible results — regenerative practices take a season or more to show impact, and building farmer confidence during that period is critical.”

The black powder with bright results

One of Beetle Regen’s early breakthroughs has been tackling stubble burning in North India. Instead of setting crop residue on fire, farmers are trained to convert it into biochar using small pyrolysis units.

Biochar, when added back to the soil, improves fertility and locks carbon away for centuries. “It’s a win-win,” Amol explains. “Farmers get better value for their biomass, pollution is avoided, and carbon gets locked into the soil.”

Hemant adds, “Our model brings together regenerative farming and carbon removal. On one side, we support farmers to adopt practices that sequester carbon, improve soil health, conserve water, and increase biodiversity.”

He continues, “On the other hand, we help them rejuvenate their soil by training them to produce biochar from their crop residues, which would be burnt in the open otherwise. Ultimately, this empowers farming communities to secure their livelihoods while restoring the environment.”

Explaining carbon like savings

For many farmers, carbon credits can feel distant. Deepak and his team bridge the gap with simple comparisons.

“When we talk about carbon credits, we show them how practices like cover cropping or biochar application capture carbon in the soil. We use simple analogies like — when your soil stores more carbon, it is like saving money in a bank, and companies are willing to pay for that saving.”

He adds, “Demonstrations make it real, and farmers can see that healthier soil improves yields and reduces costs, while also contributing to environmental balance.”

This is when trust begins to grow. Farmers believe more easily when they see neighbours explain things in familiar terms, rather than when outsiders arrive with lectures.

The season that brought back confidence

Hemraj has seen this shift first-hand. “Since joining the programme, our costs have gone down and yields have improved. Fertiliser and pesticide use have reduced, while practices like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and enriched composting have improved soil health. On average, yields are increasing by 15–20 percent while input costs have reduced significantly.”

He now grows cotton using High Density Planting Systems and prepares organic inputs at home. At first, he worried these methods would be too complex, but once demonstrated, he realised they were practical and affordable.

“The quality of crops like cotton, oranges, and vegetables has noticeably improved, making it easier to sell in the market,” he says.

Hemraj is no longer just a farmer but also an ambassador. “I regularly invite neighbouring farmers to visit my fields so they can see the results firsthand. When they notice healthier crops and better yields without additional costs, they naturally become curious and motivated to try. Word of mouth is powerful; once one farmer succeeds, the entire community takes notice.”

Placing seeds of change in women’s hands

Women make up nearly 60 to 70 percent of agricultural labour in India, yet often lack land ownership or decision-making power. To address this, Beetle Regen launched Women in Regenerative Cotton, a programme that trains women farmers in regenerative practices, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

So far, 700 women have joined. The aim goes beyond teaching techniques. It is about building agency and ensuring women can lead within their communities. In villages where women’s voices have long been overlooked, this shift is beginning to show.

By equipping women with both technical skills and confidence, the programme is helping regeneration reach deeper than soil. It is shaping communities where women make decisions, lead discussions, and share in the dignity of farming.

Scaling hope without losing trust

Scaling change is never easy, but Deepak believes it can be done. “Everywhere, farmers face similar challenges like declining soil fertility, rising input costs, and climate stress. The first 100–500 farmers are always the hardest to convince. Once results are visible, adoption spreads quickly through word of mouth. With digital tools, lead farmers, and field support, over time, lakhs of farmers across India will join because the model benefits farmers, the environment, and communities alike.”

Hemant agrees. “Beetle Regen leverages deep-rooted networks of smallholder farmer communities built over a decade. This advantage has positioned us uniquely in India, putting us in the position to make a large-scale impact at the grassroots.”

The road ahead still has hurdles — from cash flow challenges to gaps in policy support. But Amol remains undeterred. “There is no shame in failure. Each mistake teaches us something. We come back stronger.”

Looking ten years ahead, he envisions an India where regenerative agriculture is not an alternative but the norm, where smallholder farmers earn dignified incomes, and where farming is both climate-smart and profitable.

In Yenikoni, that vision is easier to picture. Hemraj walks his fields with neighbours at his side, pointing to cotton plants that stand taller and soil that looks richer. Each curious visit is a sign that the change he once doubted is already taking root.

Edited by Khushi Arora; all images courtesy Beetle Regen