: IIT Alumnus Quits Job to Grow Over 400 Acres of Community Forest With 160 Farmers #IndiaNEWS #Lede Sunith Reddy, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad, wanted to move out of the urban settlement to live

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IIT Alumnus Quits Job to Grow Over 400 Acres of Community Forest With 160 Farmers #IndiaNEWS #Lede
Sunith Reddy, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad, wanted to move out of the urban settlement to live a more ‘sustainable lifestyle’.
He says that ever crowding urban centres and hectic lifestyles such as long commute times and unhealthy food make city-dwelling unviable. “Like many, I became tired of the exhausting city life and decided to give it up and move to a remote location and take up farming to connect with nature,� he tells The Better India.
Around 2015-16, he attempted to pursue organic farming on a small patch of land near Bengaluru.
But soon, after the initial hiccups, reality kicked in.
“I learned the economic challenges of small-scale farming. I also consulted individual farmers. Many bought farmland and became weekend farmers. A few succeeded in making it work, but many struggled as the farm did not sustain after a few years, or their enthusiasm faded. The recurring expenses, managing workforce and investing in infrastructure became financially draining and posed other challenges,� he explains.
“Moreover, even if we managed to get a harvest, the quantity did not yield significant returns,� he says.
Community forest site.
Sunith says that speaking with many helped him learn that the full-time farmers, who put their entire focus on the initiative, succeeded more than their weekend counterparts. “The success rate of farmers who practised farming on a larger geographic space was higher,� he says, adding that, “However, not many people can afford to buy a large chunk of land. This can become a possibility with the help of a small group of farmers. �
So in 2017, Sunith took a life-changing decision. He quit his job to pursue a successful community forest project for like-minded persons sharing similar values.
Building a Sustainable Community
The IIT-Madras alumnus says that initially, his friend Shaurya Chandra and five others became members. They started identifying 10 acres of abandoned land in Hyderabad to begin their project.
“The aim was to restore the land, and farming was not the main focus. The community worked on small patches and saw results. Motivated by the initial successes, we pursued farming. Eventually, more people joined, and within a year, our numbers grew,� he says, adding that they christened the initiative ‘BeForest’.
“We created and managed a sustainable food forest and collectively owned living spaces based on regenerative farming methods leading to food, water and power security,� he says.
The concept evolved into a startup that enables the same for others. “There are many people who wish to make the sustainable switch, and the startup handholds them by enabling them to create a space in a self-sustaining forest.

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