Annapurna Mahila Samiti

The group’s rule is simple: nothing is ground unless it has been ordered. Every packet carries the grinding date, which is why their garam masala smells the way it does in the first week rather than the fifth.

Chilli and turmeric are bought directly from women farmers in the next block at a rate fixed before sowing, so the price does not move with the market.

Soap making began as a way to use up the last of the season’s herb stock and is now a third of the group’s turnover.