Wayanad to Host Community Seed Festival
A community seed festival promoting local seed varieties and traditional farming practices is scheduled to begin in Wayanad, Kerala, on February 28. The event will include workshops and exhibitions for farmers and agricultural experts. The festival aims to preserve and encourage the use of indigenous agricultural resources.
- This annual festival, initiated in 2015, is a collaborative effort by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the Wayanad Tribal Development Action Council, and Seed Care, an organization of traditional rice farmers. - The event serves as a platform for farmers, scientists, and local self-governments to network and exchange traditional and scientific knowledge on agro-biodiversity conservation. - Wayanad is a recognized agrobiodiversity hotspot within the Western Ghats, historically cultivating around 75 traditional rice varieties, although this number has now fallen to about 15-20. - A key feature of the festival is the presentation of the Genome Savior Awards, which recognize tribal farmers who are instrumental in conserving and protecting the region's agricultural biodiversity. - The 2026 festival, marking its 10th edition, will specifically celebrate the role of women farmers as custodians of agrobiodiversity, aligning with the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer. - Participants include a wide range of partners such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Kerala State Biodiversity Board, and various district-level government bodies. - The festival is part of a larger "Seed Care Movement" that began in 2014 to create a public mechanism and formal system for conserving diverse crop varieties and supporting custodian farmers. - Padma Shri awardee Cheruvayal Raman, a tribal farmer from Wayanad known for conserving over 45 varieties of rice, is a notable figure associated with the region's seed conservation efforts.
