India needs to support its community seed banks to ensure food security in climate-risked times: CSE

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi has called for government support to community seeds banks so that India’s food security can be ensured in climate-risked times.

The Delhi-based think tank launched a new report in the national capital on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity to celebrate the ‘seed savers’ and community seed banks of the country.

Speakers at the event called for formally recognising and acknowledging farmers and communities who conserve traditional seed varieties.

“Maintaining enthusiasm among seed savers requires both recognition and incentives. Without adequate value for their labour and knowledge, community participation may decline. Farmers and communities who conserve traditional seed varieties should be formally acknowledged as ‘custodians of biodiversity’. This could come in the form of official certification, public appreciation and inclusion in national seed and biodiversity conservation plans,” said G Krishna Prasad, founder of Sahaja Samrudha, an organic farmer collective in Karnataka at the launch of the CSE report titled Celebrating Community Seed Banks of India: Conversations on Climate-Resilient Seeds.

Prasad’s views found an echo in those of another speaker — Vijay Jardhari, founder of the Beej Bachao Andolan in Uttarakhand. Said Jardhari: “Community seed banks are not just about saving seeds, they are about saving culture, nutrition, and self-reliance. A farmer’s personal seed bank ‘the bijunda’ is their insurance against hunger, inflation, and climate shocks. It must be recognised and supported.” 

Prasad added: “The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGRA) should open its genebank to farmers, facilitating seed exchange among them. Government support and funding are essential for this initiative.”  

What are community seed banks?

Community seed banks are decentralised grassroots initiatives — a form of gene banks — managed by local farmer groups, self-help groups, non-profits and women. Their primary purpose is to preserve indigenous and climate-resilient seeds and the knowledge around their use. 

“Traditional seeds are more resilient to extreme weather events. We conducted an online survey of non-government organisations, community seed banks and individuals to understand how India was faring on preserving this invaluable resource — this report has been culled from their responses, coming from 15 states from across the country,” said Vibha Varshney, who heads the Biodiversity and Food team at CSE.

She added: “Our survey shows these banks have a well-developed system of seed collection, preservation and distribution — a system that has stood the test of time. While there is an overall concern about the increasing unpredictability of weather and climate, preservers of these traditional seed varieties say that these seeds are naturally adapted to these extreme conditions.” 

The CSE survey responses say community seed banks collectively preserve over 887 climate-resilient varieties across 71 different crops.

“The actual number of varieties might be higher. There is very little documentation on the banks and the seeds that they have. We received data only from a few organisations that have made the effort to document their varieties,” said Shimali Chauhan of CSE’s Food and Biodiversity team and co-author of the survey report.

Based on its conversations with experts and practitioners involved in community seed banking, CSE has found that these banks face challenges related to funding, infrastructure and policy support. 

Other than these, they also need to deal with changing attitudes and declining interest in traditional seeds and a preference towards hybrid and genetically modified seeds which are promoted as high-yielding and faster-growing. 

“Younger farmers, in particular, view traditional seeds as outdated and prefer commercial seeds that promise better profits,” said Chauhan.

Lastly, climate change and unpredictable weather pose a serious threat to seed production and storage. 

Varshney pointed out that the sustainability of these seed banks depends on factors such as government policies, community participation, and access to funding and technical support. “As of now, there is little evidence of this support,” she said. 

According to Bharat Mansata, founder of Vanvadi, a forest regeneration collective in Maharashtra: “The government must realise that this is genetic wealth; they must protect the commons of our genetic biodiversity. Tragically, our stuff is readily available for big buyers, but not for the common farmers.”

“The world is celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity today. While there is biodiversity all around us, what nourishes us is the biodiversity available on our plates,” said Varshney. 

With their stash of local crop varieties and related knowledge, these community seed banks can support diversified farming systems and ensure food security, she added.