Climate funder: EarthOn Foundation on agrivoltaics

In this short interview, EarthOn Foundation discusses why agrivoltaics is a strong funding priority, safeguards funders can adopt, and how to scale agrivoltaics in India.

 

 

 

Why is agrivoltaics a priority for you? What critical role do you see philanthropy playing in this nascent space in India?

 

 

Agri-PV (or agri-photovoltaics) presents a unique opportunity to maximise land use, allowing farmers to generate additional income with the use of renewable energy while continuing agricultural production. In a land-constrained country like India, where solar PV installations require significant space, integrating solar with farming ensures both energy and food security. This dual-use model strengthens farmer resilience by offering an additional income stream without compromising crop yields. 

 

Philanthropy plays a vital role in de-risking this emerging sector and unlocking government programmes and bank financing. Early-stage philanthropic capital is essential for testing business models, addressing technical challenges, and ensuring that smallholder farmers—who are the backbone of India’s agriculture—remain central to the transition without compromising agricultural practices. Without this support, agri-PV risks being dominated by private developers, sidelining farmers. Strategic philanthropic investments can help develop sustainable models, mitigate risks, generate critical data to inform policy, and create a supportive ecosystem for scaling agri-PV in an equitable way.

 

 

 

Women beneficiaries using solar pumps to grow vegetables under solar PV

installations in Ramgarh, Jharkhand. Source: SwitchON Foundation

 

 

 

What is your funding approach? What safeguards or criteria should philanthropy adopt when approaching agrivoltaics?

 

 

Our funding approach focuses on viability gap funding to support farmer collectives and smallholder FPOs. This means covering costs that farmers cannot bear, and private financiers are hesitant to fund. We prioritise pilots that: directly benefit smallholder farmers and FPOs, generate real-world data to inform policy and future financing, and build awareness and capacity at the last mile. 

 

Donors should ensure farmers are at the centre and agri-PV projects prioritise farmers' welfare over commercial interests. Funding should emphasise food security alongside energy security, preventing land from shifting entirely toward solar at the cost of agriculture. Safeguards must also ensure that projects are farmer-friendly, with accessible technology, fair revenue-sharing models, and risk mitigation for early adopters. Philanthropy’s role is to ensure the sector develops equitably, with farmers, not just developers, benefiting from this transition.

 

 

 

How can coordinating funding and tracking learnings from pilots help scale agrivoltaics in India?

 

 

Coordinating funding and systematically tracking learnings from agri-PV pilots is crucial for scaling the sector in a way that benefits farmers, not just developers. Right now, the financial viability of large-scale agri-PV remains uncertain—questions around risk, return on investment, and cost of capital need real-world data to be answered. 

 

A threefold approach can drive meaningful impact:

• Viability gap funding: Supporting FPOs and smallholder farmers by covering costs that private finance won’t, ensuring equitable participation.
• Awareness and capacity building: Pilots should create last-mile champions who can take this model forward, making it accessible at scale.
• Informing policy: Data from pilots will inform the right mix of subsidies, infrastructure support, and financial models, making agri-PV commercially viable for banks and institutional investors.

 

Without this coordination, agri-PV risks becoming another top-down energy project rather than a solution that strengthens rural livelihoods—something that resonates with your broader work on climate-resilient agriculture and decentralised energy solutions.

 

 

 

Images like these highlight the power of inclusive clean energy solutions

—ensuring no one is left behind. Source: SwitchON Foundation

 

 

 

Do you have a message for other funders who are considering entering this space?

 

 

For funders considering agri-PV, flexibility, risk-taking, and a learning mindset are essential. This is not just about scaling solar—it’s about strengthening rural livelihoods, sustainable agriculture, and gender equity.  

 

• Farmer-centric approach: The focus must be on smallholder farmers, ensuring agri-PV boosts income without compromising food security.
• Gender inclusion: Women often don’t own land, but agri-PV assets can be registered in their name, giving them economic agency.
• Intersectional thinking: Agri-PV must integrate with sustainable farming practices, not just energy production.
• Championing grassroots capacity: Beyond funding pilots, investing in local leaders, farmer groups, and FPOs will ensure long-term adoption.

 

Funders must think beyond technology—building awareness, engaging policymakers, and ensuring real grassroots demand before large-scale rollouts. The goal is to lay the foundation for a farmer-driven, scalable model, not just another energy project.

 

 

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EarthON Foundation , a 501(c)(3) organisation, is dedicated to democratising philanthropy by empowering grassroots organisations and early-stage entrepreneurs in the Global South. They play a catalytic role and advance scalable sustainable ideas, organisations and enterprises in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circularity, and the transition economy. Through awards and trust-based grants, they support grassroots organisations and enterprises with bold sustainability ideas and initiatives that drive a just transition and improve the livelihoods of the marginalised. Through their awards and grassroots grants, they will help transform bold ideas into impactful solutions. It will also provide one-on-one mentorship, capacity building, and high-visibility opportunities for exposure and growth.

 

 

Learn more about EarthON Foundation and their work by visiting www.EarthONFoundation.org