Sustainability
We were inspired by Laurie Baker’s commonsense architecture that’s sensitive to the environment and the people. Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of decentralisation, caring for the environment and the people had a great impact on us.
Masanobu Fukuoka’s experiments in natural farming was another source of inspiration.
We took the road less travelled and were determined on design excellence and efficient management to make an impact on the lives of people. Although the passion and ideological framework kept us alive, we didn’t want to make our explorations superficial.
After many years of practise in design and construction of a variety of projects, GoodEarth’s first real estate venture GoodEarth Hamlet in Kochi was commissioned in 1995. It demonstrated an alternative model in urban housing.
“We felt that the real test of any alternative idea is the market, and we ventured into business…”
“It also tested whether we could evolve into an ethical business group that delivers good projects and stays away from greed.”
“A green or sustainable business needs to think beyond numbers and take conscious business decisions with an awareness…”
“…of the impact of such decisions on the lives of people, ecology, culture and humanity, with a sense of responsibility and care.”
"We are not mere consumers of real estate."
GoodEarth tried to explore natural farming in its land at Theni, Tamil Nadu in the early 90’s. The experiment failed owing to change in rainfall patterns and depleting groundwater level.
However, our experiment in natural farming served as a lesson and warned us about the degrading land across the globe leading to desertification. Theni like large parts of India has become arid and progressing towards desertification.
Around 2018, we initiated a thorough geological survey and design for sustainable water management of the Malhar Eco-village project in Bangalore.
At about the same time GoodEarth came across efforts in regenerative agriculture in Tumkur district, Karnataka.
A lake was restored in Anchepalya, Bangalore, in the same period. Interaction with Allan Savory who originated holistic resource management, a systems thinking approach to managing resources and study of his scientific efforts in reversing desertification in Zimbabwe deepened our insights on holistic design and management of land and ecosystems.
Efforts of the Waterman of India Dr Rajendra Singh and Water warrior and innovator of Chauka system, a new technique of water conservation, Lakshman Singh on water sustainability gave fresh insights.
GoodEarth now has taken up regenerative agriculture to rebuild ground water, ecosystems and reverse climate change.
We have started working on holistic design of both urban and rural watersheds to hone our skills for meeting larger sustainability goals.
Environment, people, economy and a culture of care for all form the four verticals of sustainable development.
We wanted to explore and chose to act. We took to regenerative agriculture as the means to heal the soil, and thereby reverse global climate change and its consequent desertification.
Realising that everything in nature is interconnected, we are directing our efforts, engineering and a host of our skills towards reviving degraded land, and thereby restoring the land to its full potential.
Thus, through development that’s sensitive to the environment, regenerative agriculture that heals the soil and ecological restoration, we continue to practise sustainability that has been the cornerstone of GoodEarth.