Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Limited (IFFDC) came into existence formally in 1993 although its work had begun in 1986-87. Its promoter, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), had launched programmes of eco-restoration and wasteland development through farm forestry in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and these programmes were subsequently handed over to the IFFDC for being scaled up and integrated with rural livelihood development and poverty alleviation programmes in the country.
Based on Community Needs, IFFDC has diversified its portfolio and has broadened its focus to include in addition to Farm Forestry and Climate Change, activities such as Watershed Management, Climate Proofing, Nutritional and Economic Security, Livelihoods, CSR initiative, Women Empowerment, Community Institution Building including Farmer Producer Organisations, Skill Development & Income Generation, Seed Production and Agri-Input Supply etc. This has been done by adopting approaches that are participatory in nature and designed to cater to the emerging and evolving needs of the community.
Over the past decade, IFFDC has also expanded its territorial scope of action and started sustained operations in the States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Assam. With its presence in more than 9,570 villages across 19 States covering all the agro-climatic zones, it has so far implemented rural development projects worth more than Rs. 320 crore.
With the objective to increase crop production & productivity, IFFDC is also undertaking Seed Production and Marketing Programme to provide quality seed and also supplying quality agri-inputs to farmers.
IFFDC was registered on 22nd October, 1993 by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India as a Multi-State Cooperative Society under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 1984 (subsequently under the MSCS Act 2002) with Registration No. “MSCS/CR/37/93”.
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC), State Cooperative Federations, Primary Farm Forestry Co-operative Societies (PFFCS) and Primary Livelihood Development Cooperative Societies (PLDCS) are members of the IFFDC. As on March 31, 2021, IFFDC has 172 Cooperative Societies as its
Against an authorized share capital of Rs. 100 crore, the IFFDC's subscribed and paid-up capital as on 31.03.2021 is Rs. 13.26 crore illustrated as under:
| Value of Each Share (`) | Shareholders | No. of Shares |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited National Cooperative Development Corporation |
2,507 8 |
| 10,000 | Uttar Pradesh Sahakari Gram Vikas Bank Ltd. Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd. |
1 1 |
| 1,000 | Primary Farm Forestry Cooperative Societies Ltd. and Primary Livelihood Development Cooperative Societies Ltd | 6,896 |
Committed to the integrated development of India's rural community, the IFFDC governance structure is designed adhering to the highest standards of Cooperative Values and Principles and is in conformity with the provisions of the Multi State Cooperative Societies Acts & Rules, 2002. Its internal management and functions are guided by its Bye-laws.
With business systems and processes in place that are designed for transparency, internal control and enabling adequate review, IFFDC's policies and practices are not only consistent with current statutory requirements, but also reflect its commitment to ensure the best interests of its members/stakeholders.
IFFDC has 12 members on the Board of Directors from diverse backgrounds comprising of grassroots based elected co-operators as well as nominated and co-opted members, who represent institutions that cater to the need and interests of its shareholders. Two seats on the Board are reserved for elected women Directors to represent the constituency of women.
On its operational front, IFFDC functions through skilled managers, who have wide experience & expertise in diverse fields related to social and rural development, such as agriculture, engineering, social cooperatives, finance, information technology, marketing and general management.