Seeds for Self-Reliance

The practice of saving seeds has been a cornerstone of farming traditions and has allowed agriculture to become a way of life. But the introduction of high yielding seed varieties and pervasive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has eroded the diversity of indigenous seeds. The GREEN foundation in India recognized that women are crucial to seed conservation efforts there. By setting up community-managed seed banks, they have been working with small and marginalized women farmers to promote conservation of indigenous seeds, agro-biodiversity and ecological farming practices. And the seed, a symbol of fertility, perpetuity, and sustenance in India, is now also becoming a symbol of self reliance.

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