INTRODUCTION: A DISAPPEARING HERITAGE

• Traditional seed varieties in India are vanishing rapidly.
• Once central to food security and cultural identity, these varieties are now being replaced by a few high-yield crops.
• The shift comes at a cost: greater use of chemical inputs, vulnerability to climate shocks, and reduced nutritional quality.

CHALLENGES IN THE CURRENT FOOD SYSTEM

Market Demand & Consumer Preferences

• Supermarkets and food programs promote rice and wheat, sidelining traditional crops like millets and pulses.
• Low consumer awareness leads to decreased demand for indigenous varieties.
• Farmers hesitate to grow what they cannot sell.

Lack of Infrastructure for Seed Conservation

• Hybrid seeds are commercially mass-produced, while traditional seeds depend on community sharing.
• India lacks well-funded, widespread community seed banks to conserve these traditional varieties.

Policy & Research Gaps

• Agricultural policies have historically focused on food production through high-yielding crops.
• Trade-offs include reduced biodiversity and loss of nutritional quality.
• Government support (e.g., procurement, subsidies) is still skewed toward modern crops.
• R&D focuses more on productivity than on climate resilience and genetic diversity.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND SOLUTIONS

 Current Initiatives

• Organisations like MSSRF are working to conserve indigenous crops for over three decades.
• Example: Tribal Agrobiodiversity Centre in Odisha held a national consultation to map out solutions.

 Key Actions Needed

• Recognize and support farmers’ traditional knowledge.
• Strengthen and expand community seed bank networks.
• Promote alternative seed systems to sustain local crop varieties.
• Provide market incentives and support systems for traditional crops.
• Reform policy to balance productivity with sustainability and biodiversity.

Shifting Research & Development Priorities

• R&D must support participatory plant breeding, enabling farmers to co-develop improved traditional seeds.
• Fund programmes focused on climate-resilient varieties.
• Establish regional conservation centres for easier access to seeds and long-term preservation.

MARKET LINKAGES & CONSUMER AWARENESS

 Linking Production to Demand

• Farmers won’t grow what they can’t sell — financial and marketing support is essential.
• Introduce Minimum Support Prices and procurement schemes for traditional crops.
• Integrate these crops into public food systems: mid-day meals, hospitals, ration shops.

Campaigns & Branding

• Launch awareness drives about health and environmental benefits.
• Promote traditional crops through effective branding to increase consumer demand.

TIME FOR ACTION: A NATIONAL IMPERATIVE

• Current issues like climate change, soil degradation, and unhealthy diets demand urgent action.
• Investing in traditional seed varieties ensures:
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Resilience to climate extremes
  • Nutritional diversity
• India must move from fragmented efforts to coordinated national strategies involving all stakeholders.

CONCLUSION: CHOOSING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

• We don’t have to choose between food security and sustainability.
• Traditional seeds are the bridge to a resilient and healthy food system.
• The moment to act is now — to preserve, promote, and plant our heritage back into the soil.

MAINS QUESTION

1. How can policy reforms support the conservation and promotion of traditional seed varieties in India? What are the potential benefits and challenges of such reforms?
2. What are the key factors driving the decline of traditional seed varieties in India, and how can they be addressed through a coordinated national strategy?
3. How can consumer awareness and market demand be increased for traditional crops, and what are the potential benefits of such efforts