Saving Traditional Varieties of Seeds

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

In Context

• The traditional seeds are rapidly disappearing after the adoption of the green revolution and modern agricultural policies. 

What are Traditional Seeds?

• Traditional seeds, also known as indigenous or heirloom seeds, are naturally evolved and locally adapted over generations. These seeds are:
  • Open-pollinated and can be saved by farmers,
  • Rich in genetic diversity,
  • Adapted to local climatic and soil conditions, and
  • Culturally embedded in local food systems.

Benefits of Traditional Seeds

• Climate Resilience: Tolerant to drought, floods, and extreme temperatures.
  • Require less irrigation and fewer chemical inputs.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Promote genetic diversity critical for ecological balance and future crop improvement.
• Nutritional Value: Millets and pulses contain higher fibre, protein, and micronutrients compared to polished grains.
• Economic Sustainability: Lower input costs as farmers can reuse seeds and rely less on commercial seed and agrochemical markets.
• Cultural and Heritage Value: Integral to traditional food practices, festivals, and indigenous knowledge systems.
  • Example: Navara rice, a traditional medicinal rice variety from Kerala, is used in Ayurvedic treatments and temple rituals.

Reasons for the Decline of Traditional Seeds

• Policy Bias toward High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs): Green Revolution policies focused on maximizing output from a few staple crops like rice and wheat.
  • Government subsidies, MSP, and procurement favoured HYVs.
• Market and Consumer Preferences: Urban markets and public food schemes prioritize polished, high-yield grains.
  • Lack of awareness about traditional grains leads to poor demand.
• Inadequate Institutional Support: Weak community seed banks and poor conservation infrastructure.
  • Limited investment in research and development for improving traditional varieties.
• Commercialization of Agriculture: It has led to the dominance of seed corporations and input-intensive farming models (use of Chemical fertilizers, mechanization, irrigations etc), which prioritize hybrid and genetically modified (GM) seeds.

Key Initiatives and Best Practices

• Odisha Millet Mission: Promotes production, consumption, and marketing of millets in tribal districts.
  • Empowers local farmers and encourages nutritional security.
• Community Seed Banks: Grassroots initiatives in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha support seed conservation, exchange, and revival.
• M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF): Tribal Agrobiodiversity Centre in Jeypore, Odisha conserves over 1,200 rice varieties.
• FAO and Biodiversity International Programs: Global initiatives to document, conserve, and enhance genetic diversity in agriculture.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Supports organic farming using traditional seeds and indigenous practices.

Way Ahead

• Policy Reorientation: Integrate traditional crops into MSP, PDS, and midday meal schemes.
  • Include climate-resilient crops in the National Food Security Mission.
• Strengthening Seed Sovereignty: Expand well-funded community seed banks and regional conservation centres.
  • Promote Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) with farmer-scientist collaboration.
• Market and Branding Support: Launch awareness campaigns on the health and environmental benefits of traditional crops.
  • Create GI tags, organic labels, and e-commerce platforms for indigenous grains.
• Education and R&D Investment: Revise agricultural curricula to emphasize traditional knowledge systems.
  • Allocate research grants for improving productivity of traditional varieties.

Source: TH