Much of the bio-diversity is lost from the food system due to high-yielding hybrid seeds pumped by the corporates and profit-making organisations. Though Hybrid seeds increase production for a shorter duration but in the long run it cannot stand extreme weather conditions, new pest or disease.

Traditional or indigenous seeds, on the other hand, are produced or grown naturally in a particular country, a region under a certain climate. These seeds are selected and managed by the indigenous people in the local growing environment. They are hardy, pest-resistant, withstand unfavorable conditions in the area of their origin, require less water and nutritional inputs, fit in better in the organic method of farming and may even have special characteristics such as nutrition, fragrance or colour. The conservation of these indigenous seeds is very important to develop self-sufficiency and ownership of the farmers over their seed and its production

The community of East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya has lost many indigenous seeds over time. Farmers moved to hybrid seeds due to its high production and several of them abandoned local varieties and adopted hybrid seeds due to purely economic reasons.

The efforts anchored by the FARM Northeast II programme to preserve indigenous seed has changed in the mindset of the people towards its importance and sustainability. Social Service Center (SSC), Meghalaya, one of the partner of Caritas India responsible for implementing the FARM Northeast programme is documenting different traditional methods of seeds conservation by either drying it in the sun and put it on the cloth or drying it above the fireplace in the kitchen or burying it in the soil till it is the time for cultivation, paste it in the wall.

SSC along with the community leaders of khasi, Bhoi and the Karbi organized a seed fair for farmers from different communities to exchange and conserve these indigenous seeds. The farmers from East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi district brought around 100 varieties of indigenous seeds at the fair.

“Community seed fair and seed exchange organised by SSC is one of its kind in the village. It provided a greater platform for different farmers from different communities to interact and share their challenges and learn the adaptation and conservation techniques from each other. It is through this seed fair we as farmers will be able to revive and bring back the indigenous seeds into life”, says Stephen Makri, one of the farmers from the village.

To orient the farmers on indigenous seed conservation methods, SSC organized a workshop and discussion on 24th April 2019 with Mr Neelam Dutta, Managing Director of Pabhoi Greens. The programme was of immense help for the farmers as Mr. Neelam stressed on the need of conserving indigenous seeds which are getting extinct day by day. “If we start depending on hybrid seeds then this dependence will never end and in this process, we will not get our own seeds anymore”, shared Mr. Neelam. “One of the best methods to conserve seeds is seed selection”, shared Mr. Neelam. He informed that by use of silica and lemon juice, one can prevent seeds from the insect.

SSC has also collected seeds from the farmers and around 50 seeds were collected and preserved in the office. Caritas India North East Zone over the last three years of FARM II programme implementation has promoted conservation of indigenous seeds across the region. SSC has been the leader along with all other partners in documenting the indigenous seeds. By conserving and reviving the indigenous seeds, FARM Northeast programme is reviving the traditional food, rituals, nutrition, and sustainability of the region which was otherwise forgotten and lost in the wake of gaining higher yield.