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.