The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in New Delhi published a significant report titled Celebrating Community Seed Banks of India: Conversations on Climate-Resilient Seeds on May 22, 2025, the International Day for Biological Diversity. In light of growing climate hazards, the research emphasises the community seed banks’ vital role in preserving India’s food security. These community-based programs, run by farmers, self-help organizations, and nonprofits, protect traditional knowledge and Indigenous, climate-resilient seeds, safeguarding against hunger, economic instability, and climate shocks. Nonetheless, the report identifies essential obstacles that jeopardize their viability, including a lack of money, infrastructure, and legislative backing. At the inauguration ceremony, CSE and experts emphasized the importance of these seed banks in maintaining culture, biodiversity, and self-sufficiency, as India is urged to strengthen community seed banks.

The Vital Role of Community Seed Banks

To preserve native seed types and the related knowledge of their cultivation, community seed banks are decentralized, farmer-led projects that operate as gene banks. These banks prefer traditional seeds, which are inherently suited to endure harsh weather conditions, including droughts, floods, and heat waves, in contrast to commercial seed systems. The actual number may be greater due to a lack of documentation. Still, CSE’s survey, which was carried out across 15 Indian states, indicates that these banks collectively retain around 887 climate-resilient types across 71 crops. According to Vijay Jardhari, the creator of the Beej Bachao Andolan in Uttarakhand, “these seeds are not just agricultural inputs; they embody culture, nutrition, and self-reliance.” He defined bijunda, a farmer’s seed bank, as insurance against famine and climate change.

According to the report, community seed banks run reliable, generation-old processes for gathering, preserving, and distributing seeds. These systems guarantee access to various regionally adapted seeds to promote resilient farming methods. Experts like G Krishna Prasad of Sahaja Samrudha, an organic farmer collective located in Karnataka, nevertheless emphasize the necessity of official acknowledgment. Prasad called for official certification, public recognition, and inclusion in national conservation plans for farmers who are preserving indigenous cultivars to maintain community enthusiasm.

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Challenges Facing Seed Banks

Despite their potential, community seed banks encounter several obstacles. A lack of funding and insufficient infrastructure, such as suitable storage facilities, constrains their capacity to expand operations. There is also a dearth of policy support and scant indications of official support for these grassroots initiatives. According to Vibha Varshney, CSE’s Biodiversity and Food team leader, “access to technical support, community involvement, and government policies are essential to the sustainability of seed banks.” She emphasized that with government assistance, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) could play a crucial role by allowing farmers to exchange seeds from its gene bank.

The increasing popularity of hybrid and genetically modified (GM) seeds, which are promoted as having higher yields and quicker growth, presents another difficulty. Traditional seeds are considered obsolete by younger farmers, who place more importance on immediate financial gain than long-term sustainability. “This shift in attitude threatens the preservation of genetic diversity,” said Shimali Chauhan, co-author of the CSE paper. Climate change also poses a direct threat, as variable weather patterns make seed production and storage more difficult. These difficulties highlight the necessity of coordinated efforts to keep community seed banks viable and relevant.

The Need for Government and Community Support

The CSE research recommends a multifaceted strategy to develop community seed banks, and India is urged to strengthen community seed banks. The first crucial step in government action is officially acknowledging seed savers as biodiversity stewards. Farmers may be encouraged to keep conserving traditional types by offering incentives like grants or subsidies. The founder of Maharashtra’s Vanvadi, Bharat Mansata, highlighted the value of preserving genetic biodiversity as a public asset. He bemoaned that “big buyers have easy access to our genetic wealth, but common farmers do not,” and he called for laws that give equal access to seeds as a top priority.

Participation from the community is equally important. The appeal of commercial seeds might be resisted by including younger farmers in education and awareness initiatives. Varshney of CSE noted that a wider acceptance of indigenous seeds may result from customer demand for varied, sustainable food systems. The government may create a supportive ecosystem that balances environmental resilience and economic viability by incorporating seed banks into national biodiversity and agricultural strategies. To ensure that the wealth of Indigenous varieties is maintained for future generations, partnerships with organizations such as NBPGR could make seed exchange and documentation easier.

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A Path to Resilient Food Systems

In India, community seed banks are a potent instrument for creating food systems adaptable to climate change; hence, India urged to strengthen community seed banks. Diversified farming, essential for reducing climate change’s effects on agriculture, is supported by their stockpile of regional crop types. Varshney said, “The biodiversity on our plates nourishes us,” emphasizing the connection between nutritional security and seed diversity. These banks help farmers conserve cultural legacy, adapt to shifting environmental conditions, and lessen their reliance on outside inputs by conserving traditional seeds.

According to CSE research, community seed banks should be given top priority as the cornerstone of India’s food security plan. Policymakers, farmers, and civil society must work together to scale up these projects. Infrastructural investments in areas like digital documentation systems and climate-controlled storage could increase the banks’ efficiency. Campaigns for public awareness can also influence customer tastes towards locally produced, sustainable food, giving farmers financial incentives to keep up traditional cultivars.

It is impossible to overestimate the resilience provided by community seed banks in light of India’s increasingly unpredictable environment. They are living archives of information, culture, and survival rather than just seed stores. India can fortify these banks to guarantee food security and biodiversity for future generations by following the CSE report’s recommendations, which include official recognition, government support, and community involvement.

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