Green Business
Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, CEO, Lucknow Farmers Market (LFM), is the driving force behind the Lucknow Farmers’ Market, an initiative dedicated to promoting sustainability, supporting micro-entrepreneurs and fostering a farm-to-fork ecosystem across India. Her decade-plus of work extends from local markets to national stages, advocating for community resilience and environmental stewardship…
Q The Lucknow Farmers’ Market is over a decade old. When you began, the goal was simple: Connect consumers with ethical producers. How has that initial "seed" grown, and what does the LFM look like today beyond the weekly market?
When we started 11 years ago, the market itself was just the seed. The mission was simple: direct connection and ethical practices. Today, our calendar is filled with a wide range of events, from our core markets to book launches, entrepreneurial awareness drives, and even major platforms, such as the recent IIT Kharagpur EAD seminar. Our growth is not just about expanding the market but about expanding the mission's reach. Our monthly markets in Lucknow reflect the growing consciousness to eat and live in a more conscious manner, which is better for the Earth and for you.
Q From a weekly farmer's market to events like book launches and IIT-level seminars, you have diversified and how! Is this a purposeful diversification with a mission?
It's absolutely purposeful. It's not about hosting different events. It is about taking the message to new arenas. The fundamental challenge of sustainability is that it often remains confined to small, specialised bubbles. To achieve true change, we must take the message to the student who needs a career, the corporate leader who needs an ethical supply chain and the startup founder looking for an ethical blueprint. Our markets are where the product meets the consumer; our events are where the mission meets the ecosystem.
Q Are the seminars a celebration of start-up successes or also on startups that have been considerate of the environment while becoming successful?
My focus is not a mere celebration of unicorn valuations. We are squarely focused on scalable, successful start-ups that treat the environment as an asset, not as an afterthought. We look for founders who design for longevity, minimise waste and ensure fair returns across their value chain. True success is defined by the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit. If a startup does not consider the environment from day one, its eventual scale will only amplify its negative impact. We celebrate resilient, rooted growth—not just rapid, unsustainable expansion.
Q You are also looking to help weavers of other cities like Barabanki. Tell us a bit about your plan and the subsequent benefits to the community.
Our commitment to community resilience demands we look beyond Lucknow. With the Barabanki weavers, we are applying the LFM model of direct market linkage and environmental focus. We plan to help them transition to sustainable yarns and reduce the chemical load in their dyeing process. Crucially, we link this to our 'Trees for Livelihoods' initiative, providing fruit saplings to the weavers' families. This offers them a supplementary food source and a long-term income stream, tying community wealth directly to ecological health. It is about preserving a treasured heritage while ensuring a secure and sound future.
Q: Why do you think it is important to add a fun element to nature education? Your awareness events are quite entertaining with live bands and DJs.
The answer lies in human psychology. For decades, sustainability was presented as a moral obligation, often linked to sacrifice and austerity. That approach has failed to reach the masses. We aim to make sustainable living aspirational, accessible and entertaining. When people come, they aren't just reading placards; they're listening to great music, eating delicious, clean food and enjoying a vibrant community atmosphere. By associating sustainable choices with joy and a high quality of life, we change the perception. We turn a difficult lecture into a beloved lifestyle —a transformation that is essential if this movement is to truly take root.
Q Your final thought?
Our mission is to prove that conscious living is not a burden but a badge of honour. We are building the new brand of cool, where profitability and purpose are one and the same.
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