Initiative Overview:
- Odisha launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the conservation of traditional seed varieties known as landraces
- The SOP is introduced under the Shree Anna Abhiyan
- Objective is to integrate traditional seeds into formal systems and promote community-based conservation
- Focuses on preserving agrobiodiversity and supporting smallholder farmers
What are Landraces:
- Landraces are traditional crop varieties evolved over generations through natural selection and farmer practices
- They are genetically diverse and well adapted to local soil, climate, and ecological conditions
- Offer natural resilience to pests, diseases, and climatic stress
- Require fewer chemical inputs compared to modern high-yielding varieties
- Important for sustainable agriculture, food security, and nutrition
Challenges from Modern Agriculture:
- The Green Revolution promoted high-yielding varieties (HYVs), leading to uniformity in crops
- Resulted in genetic erosion and decline in landrace diversity
- Odisha, like many other states, saw a loss of traditional seed varieties
- Industrial seed systems reduced on-farm diversity and weakened local seed management by communities
Significance of the SOP:
- Recognises and revives farmers’ traditional knowledge
- Empowers communities to manage and conserve seed diversity
- Counters the negative effects of industrial agriculture on biodiversity
- Supports India’s broader goals of climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive farming