Kaushik Amlani is co-founder of the Ethical Hubs Organisation to address the global food security by applying ethical solutions in “Quarantine Agriculture” and installing further geared and planned infrastructures of Ethical Building Blocks that work for and in conjunction with the rural poor. Ethical Hubs has secured vast swathes of prime virgin lands for development in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Born in Jinja, Uganda his family have experienced two social and economic challenges and upheavals first, Jawaharlal Nehru’s socialist philosophy of fair land and natural resources distribution in India obliterated the families’ vast interests in iron and coal mining north of Calcutta. This forced confiscation by the than Indian Government of families assets forced his maternal grandparents to seek fresh pastures in Uganda, East Africa. Fate again dealt another upheaval through Idi Amin’s expulsion of the entire Asian community from Uganda in 1972. The family became evacuees again within two decades and were uprooted to the United Kingdom after 36 years, in 2008, he returned back to Africa to contribute in poverty alleviation.
Beginning careers in actuarial and banking sectors until 1983 than to pursue various businesses in United Kingdom and The Netherlands which exposed him to the Dutch cutting-edge techniques in agricultural marketing sector has since owned and operated vast acreages of coffee & horticulture production spread over Central America until 1994. His current ventures include applying ethical solutions for development of the indigenous people includes management of land, commercial farming and seed development through to future plans to install community based rural banking.
1) What is your current position?
CEO and co-founder of the Ethical Hubs Organisation.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
I take great pride in being a member of the East African Asian community, a minority group in UK yet we excel in education and business, collectively contribute some 7% GDP in The United Kingdom with similar accomplishments in the United States of America and Canada
3) What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from reason and hope. The term “Slavery” is abolished in namesake yet it exists in today’s world in the form of economic “Wage Slaves”. These peoples are bonded to and are totally reliant upon an inequitable global economic system. Public and world governments’ support is imperative for the improvement in mankind and the inequities that the rural poor in particular are subject to. My quest is to try to understand and improve these inequalities has led me to live amongst the poorest of the poor as their equal and physically and mentally experience their daily toils. This journey has inspired me to embark upon a mission to address the global food security on an equal playing field.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
I view obstacles as merely interruptions usually caused by another’s greed whilst there will always be solutions, nevertheless most obstacles in my option are transitory at any given point time are to be expected as a matter of course. My biggest obstacle has been to afford equal status to women within our programme. Gender inequalities in the rural environment exist and persist because of a range of interlinked social, economic and political factors. However, there is a specific cause that outweighs all others: the invisible but powerful role of social institutions that disempower one sex above the other. These include traditions, customs and social norms that govern the intricate workings of rural societies, and which act as a constraint on women’s activities and restrict their ability to compete on an even footing with men.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My father Kantilal Lalji Amlani has been my biggest influence was truly a humanist and a modest individual. It is in that context that I am able to recognise and feel another person’s predicament that motivates me to somewhat take a constructive path in life in following by his example.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
Keeping up to the latest research and development in cultivation techniques, we monitor the many flaws in the current global food chain and find cost effective custom solutions for advancing a range of totally organically cultivated crops whilst developments in seaweed for salt, stevia derived sugars and high protein energy products form moringa began a decade ago. I also enjoy meeting other inspired and like-minded people from across the world from economists, agricultural experts and scientists. Interacting in governments’ to tribal chieftains and similarly integrations with the rural populaces.
7) And the worst?
Physically living continuously in a tent for long spells whilst exposed to all weather elements deprived of access to the most basic of amenities that we take for granted.
8) What are your long-term goals?
Ethical Hubs administration needs to undergo a comprehensive transition from almost manual land cultivation to include the full mechanisation of its farm systems and procedures and the strengthening of our human capacity to better meet current and future business needs along the value food chain.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I perceive the management culture installed by Mrs Thatcher’s government to run the National Health was installed with good intentions to manage, than globally a first class healthcare system has since become a non-functioning entity that is now a taint two-tier expense leakage that needs urgent adjustment that in-turn effects every single citizen. I would further consider a system of reward by issuing “fast-track” NHS cards to those making or have made some positive tax contributions, those on low incomes and for the very sick and needy also qualify. Those healthy but choose to live their entire lives on free-state benefits to only have access to a standard service on a priority waiting register at every 1 in 6 hospital facility. A drastic measure that would reduce the NHS work load by as much as 40%.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Genghis Khan for his military accomplishments was a master tactician whilst his attributes to extremes in brutality and a genocidal ruler, however he was the one person credited with bringing the Silk Road under one unified political environment that brought communication and trade thus expanding the horizons to all cultures.
