Veera Kabir Singh

An Indian social entrepreneur who pioneered cooperative farming models that transformed rural economies in post-colonial India.

Veera Kabir Singh: Rural Revivalist of Post-Colonial India

Veera Kabir Singh (1910-1968) was a visionary agricultural innovator whose cooperative farming initiatives in Rajasthan revolutionized rural development. Born into a farming family in Jodhpur, he witnessed the devastation of the 1943 Bengal famine and dedicated his life to food security. In 1948, he founded the Desert Green Cooperative, a network of 200+ village-level cooperatives that transformed arid lands into productive farmland.

His introduction of zero-budget natural farming techniques 30 years before modern agroecology practices made him a pioneer. The cooperatives used traditional knowledge combined with modern irrigation systems, tripling crop yields in regions receiving less than 200mm annual rainfall. By 1960, these initiatives supported over 50,000 families, providing 10% of India's wheat supply during the Green Revolution era.

Singh's Farmer's Charter (1955) became the blueprint for India's 1960s cooperative movement. His work inspired the Amul dairy cooperative and current initiatives like the UN FAO's Dryland Agriculture Program. The Veer Kabir Institute in Jaisalmer continues his work, training farmers in sustainable practices.