Cactus, hailed as the greengold crop of the country, is being popularised by BAIF as a climate-resilient crop with multiple uses. A spineless cactus arboretum, established at the BAIF peri-urban knowledge centre – BAIF Rural Innovation Centre (BRIC) at Uruli Kanchan, Pune, is functioning as a demonstration hub for popularisation of spineless cactus as Fashion, Food, Fuel, Fertiliser and Fodder. This energy crop with its increasingly popular use as vegan leather, has met with increasing interest from smallholder farmers, youth, industries and academic institutions for its tremendous potential as a reliable future crop and beyond a drought-resistant fodder crop.
