Meet 60-YO Cancer Survivor Who Empowered 100 Women With Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Coffee Farming

In an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia, Anitha Nanda Appanervanda, a woman coffee farmer from Coorg, talked about sustainable coffee farming practices preserving Coorg’s rich biodiversity in her 175-acre estate. With a childhood passion for coffee plantation, today at the age of 60 she has over 22 years of experience in coffee farming. She has even employed around 100 women in her estate.

To this Karnataka’s proud farmer, coffee farming is more than the practice itself. Anitha Nanda feels coffee farming is a privileged choice, a lifestyle, a way of living.

A childhood passion for coffee farming

Though born and raised in Bengaluru, Anitha never admired city life. As a child, she visited her grandfather’s coffee estate in Coorg on school vacations. It was then she thoroughly enjoyed the serene natural environment and secretly wished to live on the farms forever. As a young girl, she learned the art of coffee cultivation from her uncle. 

After completing graduation she was not allowed to pursue a job-oriented career. However, after she married Nanda Belliappa, a coffee farmer from Coorg, Anitha started living her dreams. The childhood desire to live in the coffee farms actualized for her after marriage.

After becoming a mother and being used to a peaceful farm life, she decided to get actively involved in coffee farming. When her children were around eight or nine years old she got engrossed in the coffee plantation. While her children went to school she worked on the farm. 

“I always wanted to have a farm life!” Anitha told exclusively to Startup Pedia. “Though I grew up in Bangalore, I don’t miss being in the city. I am fond of my farm life and love being here.”

Anitha and her husband are now managing the family-owned Surya Kiran Estate. In the early years, the two of them faced several challenges. Coffee farming requires a good deal of patience. They struggled to produce good harvests from their robusta coffee plants. “It took almost 10 years before we saw good yields,” she revealed.

Coffee farming in Coorg

In Coorg, sustainable coffee farming is practiced, preserving both fauna and flora, maintaining the ecosystem through shade-grown coffee cultivation, and maintaining native trees. In Brazil, they remove all other trees, but in Coorg, the native trees are preserved. Insects and other wildlife are thereby preserved. Coffee planter Anitha confidently said they stick to age-old practices.

Although nowadays they use weed-cutters, modern practices are restricted to preserve the land for future generations. They use organic matter and avoid harmful chemicals.

While in Brazil other trees are removed, Coorg is famous for shade-grown coffee cultivation. They maintain the native trees while practicing coffee farming.

Also read: Failed Bookseller from Rajasthan Starts Pearl Farming, Earns ₹9 Lakhs Annually (startuppedia.in)

How profitable is coffee farming?

According to coffee planter Anitha, the money earned from coffee farming can vary depending on market prices, demands, and environmental conditions. However, she said in recent years Robusta coffee has been very profitable. 

Two varieties of coffee, Arabica, and Robusta are cultivated in Coorg. For Robusta coffee, one acre gives 19 to 25 bags of cherries (50 kgs per bag) and costs INR 10,000. The cost of cultivation for Robusta is around INR 70,000 per acre.

While for Arabica coffee 6-7 bags are produced per acre (parchment coffee) and costs INR 16000  per bag. The cost of cultivation for Arabica is around INR 1,00,000 per acre. 

The two coffees differ in aroma. Also, Arabica needs a higher elevation for growth. In Coorg, 70% Robusta and 30% Arabica plantation is practiced.

“We sell our coffees in 2 ways,” explained coffee farmer Anitha Nanda. “Either by taking the fruit and drying it to produce cherries (cherry coffee). Otherwise, by pulping the ripe fruit in a machine to remove the outer skin of the fruit and then drying it, called washed coffee or parchment coffee. Most Arabicas go as parchment.”

Further, she told Startup Pedia that she sells coffee either in cherries or parchments and not clean bean coffee as farmers would then come under taxation.

Being a coffee farmer: Some challenges in coffee farming

Coffee farming is a labor-oriented practice. Especially during the harvest period, farms require hundreds of laborers. The problem is that most local workers have moved to cities for better prospects. Naturally, farms are forced to rely on migrant laborers. Anitha’s coffee estate employs laborers from Bihar, WB, and Assam. Also, man management can be an issue for a lady farmer, revealed Anitha Nanda. 

Being a Cancer Survivor: Personal life challenges

Coffee farmer Anitha Nanda was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2022. She was in isolation undergoing treatment until November of 2023. Being a strong-willed person, she fought with the dreadful life-threatening disease and became cancer-free.

In August 2024 she resurfaced back to life and started working on her farm again. All the time, her family has been a huge support system for her, she recalled. 

“I fought hard, stayed strong to come out of it, and by the grace of God I am cancer-free today,” Coorg’s popular coffee farmer revealed to Startup Pedia. “The minute anyone hears about cancer, they are paralyzed with the fear of death. I want that myth to be broken. Cancer can be fought back! You can come out of it as a survivor.”

Recognitions 

In 2020, Anitha received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Indian Institute of Spices Research (ICAR-IISR) for her extraordinary experiment by intercropping black pepper with coffee. She admitted that awards and recognitions do motivate anyone and she too feels recognized after all the hard work she did. 

Today Anitha is the secretary of the Kodagu Women’s Coffee Awareness Body (CWCAB) and an active member of Biota Coffee FPC, an Indian producer organization.

Started in 2002, CWCAB helps women coffee farmers promote eco-friendly farming practices and spread awareness about the health benefits of drinking coffee.

"We have 400 active members who support each other and promote coffee,” shared Anitha.

Role of women in farming

Anitha believes that “women are detail-oriented and put 100% in everything they do”. They care deeply for the land, plants, and the workers. This is why women farmers’ efforts make a big difference in the community.

Anitha’s group, CWCAB, has celebrated International Coffee Day every year on October 1 since 2016 by giving away free coffee to locals and tourists in Coorg. “It’s our way of celebrating the hard work that goes into every cup of coffee and sharing the love for coffee,” she said smiling.

Anitha’s newly found passion: Beekeeping

With an experience of about 22 years as a coffee farmer, coffee farmer Anitha continues to learn and innovate. Recently, she started practicing beekeeping understanding its significant role in pollination and the overall health of her farm. 

While ending the interview, Startup Pedia asked what advice she would give to young women entrepreneurs and women in general.

Anitha said wisely, “A woman can do well in whichever field she is in for she always gives 100% in what she does. I just hope we don’t get swayed away by the Western culture but preserve Indian values and maintain family bonds. And women should learn to stand up for themselves. Be independent, financially and in every aspect of life.”

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