Saving Traditional Varieties of Seeds

Context

• Imagine an India where the agricultural landscape is dominated by a few staple crops, primarily wheat, rice, and a smattering of vegetables, while thousands of traditional seed varieties fade into oblivion.
• This scenario is not a futuristic dystopia; it is today’s reality. Once the bedrock of India’s food security and cultural richness, traditional seed varieties are rapidly vanishing under the pressure of modern farming systems and market forces.
• Their decline signals not just a loss of biodiversity but also a missed opportunity to build a resilient and sustainable food system in the face of climate change.

The Decline of Traditional Seeds

• India has long been home to an incredibly diverse gene pool of traditional seeds.
• These varieties, adapted over centuries, carry traits such as drought resistance, flood tolerance, and natural pest resilience.
• They contribute significantly to soil regeneration and offer superior nutritional profiles compared to many modern hybrids.
• However, the rise of high-yielding hybrid varieties, promoted as the solution to food scarcity, has come at a steep cost.
• These modern crops demand chemical fertilisers, are water-intensive, and are often ill-equipped to handle the growing volatility of weather patterns.
• Ironically, the very seeds capable of adapting to these climate shocks are being pushed aside.

Structural Challenges in the Food System

• Market Dynamics and Consumer Behaviour
  • The disappearance of traditional seeds is not merely a botanical issue, it is deeply embedded in the structure of India’s food system.
  • The first challenge lies in market dynamics and consumer behaviour. Urban supermarkets, government food schemes, and domestic kitchens overwhelmingly favour a limited selection of commercial grains, particularly rice and wheat.
  • Consequently, farmers find little incentive to grow traditional crops that lack market visibility or consumer demand.
• Lack of Adequate Infrastructure
  • The infrastructure needed to support traditional seed conservation is sorely lacking.
  • Unlike commercial hybrid seeds that are mass-produced and sold for profit, traditional seeds depend on grassroots efforts: community seed banks, informal exchanges, and localized knowledge systems.
  • Unfortunately, these networks remain underfunded and under-recognised.
• Fragmented Policy Orientation
  • For decades, Indian agricultural policy has incentivised high-yield crops through subsidies, procurement programs, and research investments.
  • While this strategy may have served food production goals post-Green Revolution, it has inadvertently marginalised biodiverse farming practices.
  • Initiatives like the Odisha Millet Mission are steps in the right direction, but broader systemic reforms are needed to reverse decades of narrow focus. 

Seeds of Hope: Conservation and Revival

• Despite these challenges, the movement to conserve India’s traditional seed heritage is gaining momentum.
• Institutions like the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) are leading by example.
• Their Tribal Agrobiodiversity Centre in Odisha has successfully convened stakeholders to chart pathways for sustainable seed systems.
• Such consultations highlight the importance of multi-pronged strategies, recognising farmers' rights, promoting participatory plant breeding, and integrating traditional knowledge with scientific research.
• Community seed banks must be supported with robust funding and strategic outreach, ensuring that farmers across regions have access to resilient seed stock.
• Moreover, it is vital to create a supportive policy ecosystem that extends financial and logistical support to farmers cultivating traditional crops.
• Expanding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) framework, diversifying government procurement programs, and incorporating traditional grains into public nutrition schemes like mid-day meals and ration shops can significantly boost their cultivation and consumption.

The Way Forward: Changing the Narrative, From Farms to Kitchens

• Ultimately, the revival of traditional seeds depends as much on consumer behaviour as it does on policy and infrastructure.
• Farmers will grow what people are willing to buy. Therefore, a shift in consumer preferences is essential.
• Branding initiatives and awareness campaigns must highlight the nutritional, environmental, and cultural advantages of traditional crops.
• When consumers begin to demand millets, indigenous pulses, and heirloom rice, market forces will naturally pivot to accommodate this change, creating a self-sustaining cycle of demand and supply.

Conclusion

• India is at a crossroads and escalating farming costs, climate uncertainties, eroding soil health, and poor dietary habits signal the unsustainability of the current model.
• However, this crisis also presents an opportunity. By reinvesting in traditional seed systems, India does not have to choose between productivity and sustainability.
• With coordinated national strategies, community-led conservation efforts, and a shift in public consciousness, the country can develop a food system that is productive, resilient, inclusive, and deeply rooted in its agricultural legacy.

Q1. Why are traditional seed varieties in India disappearing?

Ans. Due to market demand, policy bias, and lack of support for community-based conservation.

Q2. What are the benefits of traditional seeds?

Ans. They are climate-resilient, need fewer inputs, and are more nutritious.

Q3. Why don’t farmers grow traditional crops anymore?

A: Because there is low market demand and limited government support.

Q4. How can traditional seeds be preserved?

Ans. By funding seed banks, supporting farmers, and reforming policies.

Q5. What role do consumers play in saving traditional crops?

Ans. Consumer demand can drive markets and encourage farmers to grow them. 

Source:The Hindu