SEED
DIVERSITY
Not so
long ago, India had 200,000 varieties of paddy of which 30,000 were grown
in Karnataka and Tamil nadu. This diversity was lost as hybrid varieties
came to dominate during the so called 'Green revolution'.
This diversity is now been reclaimed as wet land, dry land, deep water, scented varieties of paddy are conserved by farmers in their quest for food security and sustainable agriculture.
This diversity is now been reclaimed as wet land, dry land, deep water, scented varieties of paddy are conserved by farmers in their quest for food security and sustainable agriculture.
Millets are a popular staple
crop prevalent in the dryland tracts of South India and are highly nutritious
and drought resistant and capable of cultivation in poor soils. In the
recent past they were neglected in favour of other crops and became stigmatized
as a poor mans crop. GREEN Foundation has been working to reintroduce
and popularise the traditional grains to strengthen food security. There
are seven botanically distinct millets, many different species and even
more varieties with farmer given names.
In the past families maintained
'cottage gardens' to provide vegetables, fruits, flowers and medicines.
As farmers concentrated on commercial crop production and food habits
changed, the rich diversity of local vegetable varieties was lost. GREEN
Foundation has been working to review this heritage of vegetables based
on the reintroduction of kitchen gardens.
Home About Us Case Studies News & Events Research Federation Nisarga Foods Publications Sponsorship Contact Us
