Our message: don’t cut trees, grow futures

Green Business

Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, Founder President of Awadh Mango Growers Association, Founder UP Mango Festival (set for its 13th edition this year), is engaged in promoting small farmers and rural entrepreneurship, boosting ecotourism, and agribusiness. Her work is ample illustration that business activity can be successfully linked to preserving trees and cherishing biodiversity. This year’s celebration takes mango lovers to an orchard called Vintage Village in Gulripurva village on Lakhimpur Road, 98 km from Lucknow. This is more than just a tribute to the king of fruits—it is a deeply rooted expression of sustainability, community resilience, and youth-driven change.

What was the vision behind the festival?

The festival was founded in 2013. With a vision to spotlight Uttar Pradesh’s incredible mango diversity, I created the Mango Festival as a platform where small farmers could connect directly with consumers and people could celebrate the land, its fruits, and those who nurture it. It began with the idea to create a deeper connection between farmers and consumers, and to preserve the rich diversity of mangoes in our region. What started as a small gathering has evolved into a movement rooted in sustainability and local pride, putting UP on the global mango map.

Tell us about the theme for this year’s Mango Festival. 

This year’s theme—“Mangoes, Memories and a Greener Tomorrow”- captures the essence of legacy, intergenerational learning, and forward-thinking action. It’s a celebration of what mangoes represent for us—memories of childhood, idyllic summer, family gatherings, orchard visits, and a reminder that the choices we make today shape the kind of planet we pass on. We want young people to lead the way in protecting our environment, preserving trees, and cherishing biodiversity. In a world facing climate stress and deforestation, the message is clear: don’t cut trees, grow futures. The festival invites everyone, especially the youth, to be part of a greener movement, anchored in tradition and hope.

Would you elaborate on the purpose behind the festival? 

Each year, the festival blossoms into a space where heritage meets sustainability. From showcasing rare and indigenous mango varieties to promoting organic produce and regenerative agriculture, the event celebrates mindful consumption. We also help our local entrepreneurs by launching mango-based products each year, with over 45 products launched to date. This year, new launches include Mango Kombucha by Combucha Garden, Mango Mathri by Navrasa, dehydrated mango slices and mango panna by Sweet Nothings, and mango-inspired jewellery by Silver Star by Shalini. We create an experience accessible to all to enjoy mangoes and understand their journey, from the seedling to the table. It’s about food traceability, farmer dignity, and environmental stewardship.

In what ways does removing middlemen help? 

Amid global instability, the Mango Festival promotes a local-first philosophy, where buying from local farmers becomes an act of resilience. When you buy directly from a local farmer, you are getting fresh produce— you are also supporting livelihoods, reducing carbon emissions, and investing in your community. It is a quiet act of environmental justice. By removing middlemen, the festival ensures fair prices, lower food miles, and stronger farmer-consumer relationships.

How do you manage community participation?

The festival focuses on youth as the driving force for change. With workshops, student-led activities, storytelling sessions, and tree planting activities, it nurtures awareness and responsibility among the next generation. Every year, close to 50 college and school students join the team to drive the festival, many of them returning just for the festival. Raksha Pandey joined the festival team as a student and now, as a working professional, still comes back every year to be a part of the team. The future belongs to our youth. We want them to grow up with a love for mangoes and to understand the importance of protecting the trees they grow on.  Organizing such a large-scale, impact-focused festival every year comes with challenges—from coordinating with farmers to mobilizing volunteers and visitors—but the shared vision keeps the community going strong.

Tell us something about the vintage village.

This year’s setting for this vibrant festival, Vintage Village, is itself a story of transformation and rural upliftment. Founded by the Jafri family, initially young Imran Jafri, who inherited a barren land at the age of 17 and transformed it, with the help of family and community members, into an environmentally friendly space that employs many in the surrounding areas. What began as an effort to cultivate infertile land has blossomed into a thriving rural resort, complete with beekeeping, jaggery production, and event spaces. The Jafri family’s vision extends beyond their land, as they have also established a school to provide quality education to children in neighbouring communities, demonstrating how one spark can ignite a flame of powerful change, bringing jobs and opportunities to rural areas.

Would you say it is a blend of tradition and transition?

What fuels this enduring effort is a belief in collective action and the timeless bond between people, produce, and the planet. Every mango is a story. A story of soil, seasons, and the small farmer who makes it possible. By supporting them, we protect heritage, empower communities, and plant seeds for a greener tomorrow.