As climate change accelerates, a quiet movement is taking root across India—preserving seeds and, with them, resilience and heritage. On International Day for Biological Diversity, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) spotlighted this effort in a detailed report. It honors the unsung “seed savers” and grassroots seed banks quietly nurturing India’s agricultural future and food sovereignty.
In an era of crop failures and ecological distress, these community banks are safeguarding the core of our food system. They protect indigenous seeds. With little fanfare, they are resisting the global push toward uniform, industrial, and genetically modified agriculture.
SURVEY UNCOVERS SEED-SAVING HEROES ACROSS INDIA
The CSE report draws from an online survey involving individuals, NGOs, and seed banks from 15 states across India. “We found inspiring examples of grassroots conservation,” says Vibha Varshney, who leads the Biodiversity and Food team at CSE. She notes that traditional seeds outperform hybrids in facing extreme weather—heat, floods, droughts, and more.
These varieties have evolved under local conditions and often require fewer inputs like pesticides or fertilizers to thrive. The report compiles insights from decades of field work and recent community-led innovations in seed preservation.
THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY SEED BANKS
Community seed banks are decentralized, farmer-led repositories preserving local and climate-adapted seed varieties. Run by women’s groups, farmers, and NGOs, these grassroots gene banks maintain biodiversity and cultural farming knowledge.
“Our survey found robust systems for collecting, storing, and sharing seeds in these banks,” says Varshney.
Each seed bank functions as a lifeline in regions where extreme weather threatens food production and traditional farming cycles. Their strength lies in being local, people-powered, and deeply rooted in community trust and self-reliance.
DIVERSITY ACROSS THE CROPLANDS
Survey data reveals these banks collectively safeguard 887 varieties spanning 71 different crops—from grains to pulses, oilseeds to vegetables.
Shimali Chauhan, co-author of the report, says: “The real figure could be much higher; documentation remains a challenge.”
Only a few organisations have thoroughly catalogued the vast genetic treasures they guard.
But even this partial picture shows the immense diversity preserved by these small, often volunteer-run operations. This local biodiversity is India’s insurance against ecological disasters and seed monopolies.
BARRIERS TO A SEED-SAVING FUTURE
Despite their success, seed banks face persistent obstacles: limited funding, lack of infrastructure, and weak policy support.
Chauhan warns that a deeper challenge is the waning interest in traditional seeds—especially among young farmers. Commercial seed corporations promise quick profits and high yields, making hybrid or GMO seeds more appealing.
“Younger farmers see traditional seeds as backward,” says Chauhan. “We must shift this perception before we lose irreplaceable genetic lines.”
The pressure to grow fast and sell fast undermines the long-term thinking that seed saving requires.
CLIMATE CHANGE: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
Ironically, climate change both justifies and endangers community seed banks.
Extreme weather reduces the quantity and quality of seeds produced annually, making preservation even harder. Storage becomes a challenge when temperature and humidity fluctuate unpredictably.
Still, these banks persist—armed with ingenuity, community knowledge, and growing awareness of biodiversity’s value. In many places, farmers say traditional varieties survive floods, droughts, and heat waves far better than modern commercial crops.
POLICY GAPS AND NEED FOR RECOGNITION
Varshney stresses that sustained support—technical, financial, and legal—is crucial for the survival of community seed initiatives.
“Right now, there is almost no structured support from government institutions,” she says.
G. Krishna Prasad, founder of Sahaja Samrudha, urges formal recognition and reward for seed savers. “Without recognition and incentives, people lose motivation,” he warns. “We must honor seed savers as biodiversity custodians.”
Prasad advocates official certification, media acknowledgment, and inclusion in biodiversity policies.
VOICES FROM THE GROUND: SEED BANKS AS CULTURAL HERITAGE
Vijay Jardhari, founder of Beej Bachao Andolan in Uttarakhand, says seed banks represent more than just food security. “They preserve our culture, nutrition, and autonomy,” he says. “A farmer’s bijunda (personal seed stash) is their survival kit.”
He sees seed saving as resistance—against corporate agriculture, climate shocks, and growing dependency on external seed sources. Both Prasad and Jardhari believe the government must empower farmers to lead India’s biodiversity mission from the ground up.
Their message is clear: seed sovereignty equals food sovereignty.
OPEN THE VAULTS: ACCESS TO NATIONAL SEED BANKS
Prasad proposes opening up the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) gene bank to Indian farmers.
This would allow easier seed exchange and decentralised access to rare indigenous varieties.
“Farmers need open doors, not closed labs,” he says. “Our biodiversity commons should belong to the people.” Currently, India’s genetic wealth is more accessible to multinational corporations than small farmers. This imbalance threatens both biodiversity and equity in the seed system.
BIODIVERSITY ON OUR PLATES
On International Day for Biological Diversity, Varshney emphasizes the link between biodiversity and daily sustenance.
“True biodiversity is not just forests or wildlife,” she says. “It’s what’s on our plates—our millets, pulses, greens, and tubers.”
Seed banks empower farmers to grow diverse crops that nourish rather than deplete the land.
Local varieties support sustainable diets, reduce ecological footprints, and build community resilience. Seed saving becomes a pathway to climate justice, nutritional security, and agricultural independence.
LOOKING AHEAD: A NATIONAL AGENDA FOR SEEDS
India’s seed savers are writing a quiet manifesto—one that urges policy, public awareness, and private support.
They want inclusion in the national biodiversity strategy, financial incentives, and farmer-led seed trials and exchanges.
Technology can help, but it must empower rather than replace traditional wisdom.
CSE’s report ends with a call to action: protect what’s ours before it’s lost forever to climate change or corporate control. The future of food may depend on how we treat the past—hidden in a handful of seeds.
