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Vijay Jardhari is an environmentalist, social worker and farmer from Uttarakhand who devoted his entire life to promoting sustainable agricultural practices and conserving the diversity of traditional seeds.
Jardhari is known as the pioneer of the Seed Save Movement (Beej Bachao Aandolan), which is a grassroots movement, with its main objective being to conserve traditional seeds, reduce dependency on external inputs (costs) in farming and promote sustainable agriculture.
He also popularised the existing Barahnaja system (cultivating diverse crops with time and place), traditional food, food diversity and millets/coarse grain among the people of the Garhwal Himalayas.
Arvind Bijalwan is professor of agroforestry at the College of Forestry, VCSG Uttarakhand University of Horticulture & Forestry in Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
Bijalwan visited Jardhari in his village of Jardhargaon in Tehri Garhwal and interviewed him on various aspects of seeds, soil, and sustainable agriculture. Excerpts:
Arvind Bijalwan (AB): You are known as the pioneer of the Save Seed Movement in Uttarakhand. Can you tell us briefly about the beginning of this movement?
Vijay Jardhari (VJ): It is my good fortune that besides being a small farmer, I was also associated with the Chipko movement in 1973. When Chipko succeeded, I started farming with my father.
I witnessed how chemical fertilisers and hybrid seeds were introduced during the Green Revolution. They were high yielding but not sustainable. Hybrid seeds cannot grow without chemical fertilisers. This practice ultimately makes the soil infertile and gradually reduces productivity too.
We also saw that grain produced from these hybrid seeds was harmful to taste, quality and health. At the same time, cultivating millets (Mandua, Jhangora, Kauni, Cheena) was discouraged. It was also propagated that mixed farming is not beneficial.
Growing soyabeans was emphasised. It was said that the market for soyabean is very good, and this convinced farmers to start mono-cropping of only soyabean.
Gradually though, most farmers realised that growing single crops was risky as this demanded the use of chemical fertilisers. Farmers in hilly areas had generally used very low or no chemical fertilisers. Moreover, soyabean did not yield fodder for animals. This worried farmers about what would be left for their livestock to consume.
Consequently, we realised the importance and worth of mixed cropping and traditional farming.
I also realised that our traditional seeds were gradually disappearing, with some already having vanished.
We embarked on a mission to find traditional seeds. We visited remote areas where we were finally able to locate them.
To sum it up, we realised the importance of traditional varieties of seeds and the harmful nature of chemical fertilisers and hybrid seeds. We started visiting several villages to spread this message.
That’s how the Save Seed Movement started.
AB: What challenges did you face while spreading the message of the ‘Save Seed Movement’ and traditional farming?
VJ: Earlier, I used to collect traditional seeds alone in every village. Gradually, as the Save Seed Movement started gaining popularity, I and my colleagues started touring villages on foot, where we organised seminars and other programmes.
We embarked on long padyatras (marches), including one from Arakot to Ascot, a distance of more than 500 kilometres. The main objective of these padyatras was to save our own seeds, our soil and make people aware about the disadvantages of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers and their impact on soil and health.
We also wanted to introduce people to our traditional crops like Mandua, Jhangora, Kauni, Cheena, etc. and make them aware about their nutritious nature and climate resilience in hill and mountain ecosystems.
At the same time, we wanted to make people aware that traditional knowledge is a treasure and it has to be saved. We should not be dependent on any external institution or company for seeds and other agriculture inputs for farming. Instead, we should be self-sufficient.
Initially, we did face problems explaining all this to our audience. The farmers understood, but it was difficult to explain to the scientists and those from elite classes, because they considered us to be ‘anti-development.’
Rural farmers, especially village women, understood that if farming is based on chemicals, it will not be sustainable; input costs will increase, and agriculture will not be healthy.
The rural folk understood us in terms of their own local idiom. For instance, when they realised their dependence on external systems, they used a Garhwali proverb: Apna aaloo bajar becha, Birana aaloo na thobda thecha. (They sell your good quality potato in the market and then make you purchase poor quality potato from the same market for your own consumption).
When the state of Uttarakhand was formed, we also appeared before the Farmers Commission led by M S Swaminathan and stated that agriculture policy should be farmer centric. Farmers should be seed-sovereign and not dependent on anyone for reaping benefits from agriculture.
The Uttarakhand government formed the Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board in 2003, which was an appreciable step towards popularising organic farming.
AB: What is the Barahnaja system and how is it important today?
VJ: Barahnaja means ‘mixed farming’ and the original inspiration for Barhanaja comes from the forest.
If you have noticed, the forest never has one single species anywhere; it has different types of biodiversity, especially floral diversity. In forests, various types of plants like trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, root plants, etc. play their own role, and generally support each other.
Similarly, growing various agricultural crops at the same time and place is called Barahnaja in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.
Mandua (Finger millet), called Koda in Garhwali, is considered as the head in the Barahnaja system. There is also amaranth (Ramdana), buckwheat (Kuttu), barnyard millet (Jhangora), maize, kidney beans (Rajma), horse gram (Ghath), sesame (Til) and many climbing pulses like beans etc.
That is how a diverse and balanced system is managed on farmland and competition is also reduced by diverse crops sharing resources. The soil quality is maintained and various types of crops, pulses, etc. can be obtained from the same field. If there is an outbreak of disease, it will not spread completely, given the diverse nature of the crops.
Here, I would also like to say that the crops sown in Barahnaja are very nutritious and of good quality. It is said that the Garhwal Himalayas used to be home to Bhad (powerful and strong men) in times past. They used to eat only traditional foods including millets and wild fruits.
A famous poet, Ghanshyam Raturi ‘Shailani’, has written a famous Garhwali song on the importance of traditional agriculture and food habits of the Garhwal region.
Harchi Kakh Garhwal Ku Woh Kodo-Kandali.
Gol Ghaffa Vanya Randa tha Jain Garhwali.
Mol tha Bhamor Pankya Dala Jhakajor jhukyan.
Kana Din tha Tabari, Kuchh ni thai Dhukh bimari.
Kafal Kingod Khai Lonn Rali-Rali.
Harchi Kakh Garhwal Ku Woh Kodo-Kandali.....
The above lines mean that “we have lost vital grains like millets and wild nettle vegetables of Garhwal, which used to be the secret of the Garhwali people’s health. Trees bearing wild fruit like wild pear, bhamora (Cornus capitata or dogwood fruit) had luxuriant fruiting. Those were the days when there were no diseases and complications in life. The kafal fruit (Myrica esculenta/ Box myrtle) and kingod fruit (barberis fruit) were eaten with salt and were tasty and healthy. Those were the days.”
This means the traditional food system was healthy and nutritious.
AB: Millets have traditionally been cultivated in Uttarakhand. Why are they important and relevant today?
VJ: Millets are very relevant in today’s era. In Uttarakhand’s hills, Mandua, Jhangora, Kauni and Cheena are common millets and the lifeline of hill people.
Surprisingly, millets are called ‘coarse grain’ (mota anaaj) despite the fact that they are fine in nature. The sobriquet probably came about as they were mainly eaten by poor and marginalised rural communities.
When we highlighted the importance of millets in times past, the elite classes mocked us, saying these grains cannot bring profit. We also told the Farmers Commission that these grains should be termed ‘nutritive’, rather than the misleading term ‘coarse’, given their nutritional nature.
It is indeed commendable that the Government of India in 2018 termed these millets as ‘nutri-cereals’ and gave them the name Sri Anna to give them more recognition and importance.
Some other crops like buckwheat, amaranth, etc. were also included in this category to enhance awareness among people towards millets. The year 2023 was celebrated globally as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
Currently, these millets are also being used therapeutically and as nutrition-enhancing grains. Diabetics today use barnyard millet (Jhangora) and finger millet (Mandua) in their daily diet.
Millets have today become a fad among the elite classes. However, there was a time when people used to consider millets as a food worthy of neglect.
I believe that various traditional species of millets need to be maintained and their cultivation needs to be promoted for future generations.
AB: How effective is traditional farming as far as soil organisms are concerned?
VJ: My father was not educated. But he was a master of farming. He used to say, “Sabbhi Dhani mil jali par Khan Kamaun ku yu matu ni milnya”, meaning that you can get everything but not fertile agricultural soil which is priceless.
I today fully acknowledge my father’s words as we have made soils sick by using pesticides and chemical fertilisers. This turns living soil into dead soil, devoid of micro-organisms.
Fertile soils have decreased immensely in every part of India. It is well known that cultivation can only be carried out when the soil is alive, meaning it has micro-organism present in it.
I devised a natural way to farm. We laid straw as a mulching on the soil, without disturbing it. After a few days, the plants came up well and the moisture remained adequate.
If our soils are given farmyard manure or natural fertiliser, they remain healthy and alive as there is enough microbial presence. But chemical fertiliser gradually makes the soil dead. Traditional farming is thus good for soil health, leading to sustainability.
AB: What is the importance of trees present on farmland in mountainous areas?
VJ: The mountain farmer not only cultivates the farm but also maintains beneficial trees there. This is called ‘traditional agroforestry’. Here, people are completely dependent on farming as well as trees, which fulfils their livelihood and daily needs.
Trees on the farm, especially on the bunds, play an important role in maintaining organic matter in the soil. Besides, they provide fodder, fuel wood, fruits, fibre, etc. for multipurpose uses.
Fruit trees provide additional revenue to farmers. They conserve soil and water, reduce soil erosion and conserve moisture on the farm. Trees also give protection to the standing crop in the fields, besides regulating temperature and making it favourable for farming and microbes.
Trees also absorb carbon, which keeps the atmosphere pure and farmers can get carbon credits too. Therefore, the hill farmer cannot imagine agriculture without trees.
AB: How relevant is traditional farming in today’s era of climate change?
VJ: Climate change is a real and present danger. I can say that in our village, I saw two to three feet of snow in my childhood. But now, there has been no snow for the past many years. Even when it snows, the snow melts very soon.
Rhododendron (Burhans) and Reinwardtia (Fyoli) flowers, which used to blossom in March-April earlier, now flower in the first fortnight of January.
Snow is required for horticulture activities in temperate climes, in order to maintain prolonged moisture and complete the required chilling hours.
In the event of such odd and inclement weather, millets (Mandua, Jhangora, Cheena, Kauni, etc.) are less affected or not affected at all. They are thus resilient to such changing climate.
AB: Human-wildlife conflict is the main problem for agriculture in the hills. What is your experience and how can this conflict be controlled?
VJ: It is not that there were no wild animals earlier. But they were less in human areas, because sufficient food was available in the forests.
Monkeys (Rhesus macaques) are a major problem in the hills. Since they live in or near human settlements, their behaviour has changed. They are attracted by human-made food as well as fruits and cereals which are cultivated by farmers.
The menace of wild boar is also increasing continuously in areas at lower elevations. These animals destroy a lot of crops in Uttarakhand.
The monkey menace poses a big challenge. Earlier, villages used to keep security guards to protect crops from animal depredations. These guards were locally called Jagwala and Bandarwala.
There is a need to re-establish this system.
In order to drive away monkeys, we should dispose our garbage (including plastic and junk) in a safe manner to locations out of reach of monkeys. There is a need to choose crops in areas facing depredations which are less affected by monkeys and other wildlife.
AB: Forest fires are a big problem in hill areas. What is your opinion regarding them?
VJ: Forest fire is a major problem in mountainous regions. That is because these areas are also warming up.
Sometimes, such fires are caused by sheer negligence while burning leftover crop stubble. At other times, people picnicking in forest areas make bonfires. And finally, cigarettes and beedis can also cause such fires. There is also the practice of controlled burning to stimulate the growth of fresh grass, which can sometimes go out of control.
Earlier, there were rules for burning in the fields. Such field fires used to be created during mornings when there was hardly any wind. These fires were also doused once they had burnt the necessary stubble and served their purpose.
Another reason is afforestation being done in the forests. It is easy to plant trees, but it is difficult to protect them. There is a Garhwali saying, “Dalu aur Baloo”. That is, plants have to be protected in the same way as a small child is. So, while afforestation is being done to create mixed forests, these forests are not being prepared for fires.
A forest fire cannot be doused without the cooperation of local people. Because the forest belongs to the local community and so, it should be ensured that there is public participation in extinguishing the forest fire.
Our village of Jardhargaon has set a good example by protecting our local forest. We have saved and increased forest cover with the help of village residents and public participation.
By understanding the forest and carefully selecting and planting trees, nurturing them and making a mixed forest, they have ensured that there is no incidence of forest fire. In fact, our forest is now a ‘model forest’ for others.
AB: People are migrating from the hills to the plains in great numbers, leaving behind ‘ghost villages’. How do you see this phenomenon?
VJ: To stem migration, we need to improve our systems. There is a need to link the education system with agriculture from the school level in the hills. Understanding of resources at the local level creates job opportunities.
Hill youth are studying only for the sake of doing jobs, not for creating them. Whereas agriculture creates jobs. Agriculture should be included as a subject in our education system from the beginning. Food-based industries and forestry should also be added. In this way, employment can be generated locally, using agricultural techniques and disciplines.
For example, income can be generated from dairy. Crops may be destroyed by wild animals. But wild grass is not. The dairy (milk) business can be done by feeding such grass to cattle and buffaloes and employment can be generated by producing various milk products like ghee, cheese, curd, etc., which will reduce migration.
There is a need to educate youth in a systematic and concrete manner on horticulture, forestry, tourism etc., which will surely reduce migration.
AB: Please share the achievements of the Save Seed Movement till date
VJ: We have shared traditional knowledge on conserving traditional seeds with people. Some 340-350 types of paddy species have been protected and preserved by us. These were on the verge of extinction.
We have also preserved 30-32 species of wheat, 220 species of Rajma (kidney beans) as well as Nauragi (rice bean), of which I personally have preserved 25-30 colours and sizes.
Similarly, there is black gram (Bhatt) the various species of which have also been preserved. Some 10-12 types of Sunta (cluster bean) have been conserved.
Many types of nutritious vegetables are found in the kitchen gardens (Sagwade) of the hills. Sharing this traditional knowledge and saving these seeds is an achievement in itself.
We have been appreciated locally and globally. In 2003, I was invited to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature conference held in Durban, South Africa. Similarly, I was invited to a food security meeting in Belgium, besides being invited by the European Environment Foundation in Germany. Our movement was highly appreciated in Malaysia, where we were invited for a campaign on rice.
Our efforts have been understood and appreciated in other parts of India as well. We received many awards, including the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar awarded by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
AB: What are your future plans?
VJ: I am very optimistic. The whole world is now discussing what we have been discussing for years.
I want the traditional knowledge that we received from our ancestors to reach all people. The traditional seeds which are very precious, need to be conserved in as many varieties as possible, and this will be the true measure of success for our movement.
For me personally, true success will be when our farming and food keep us healthy and we do not get sick from food. That can happen only if we do pure farming ourselves.