The Ultimate in Crop Insurance
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Seed Saving in India and Canada
September 2006
By Kate Green, USC Canada
When I glimpsed the brilliant red and black seeds I practically shouted, “Wow what are those for?!” My interest was unexpected.
To Nagama, Jayama, and Maraka, I came from so far away, and looked and sounded so different that they had trouble seeing why I was so interested in their seed display. The display was part of an annual biodiversity fair to celebrate the work of GREEN Foundation (GF), USC Canada’s partner in India.
Once the farmers understood I was working for USC and why I was so excited, we embarked on a lively discussion. We talked more about their seeds: how they save them, what they were used for, and how the seed saver group they belong to managed to recover varieties so that each farming household had more diversity to choose from.
Dealing with Climate Change
On the dry plains of Southern India, where rain comes all at once if it comes at all, diversity is particularly important. Farmers’ options for planting depend on weather conditions. Nagama says, “The climate is changing here. Everyone is noticing it. Less rain falls over a shorter period of time. And it is coming slightly later in the year than it has traditionally come.”
Farmers have been able to adapt to this change by using their diverse selection of seeds. But ten years ago, because of pressure to grow cash crops, farmers were not paying attention to that diversity, and the neglect was having an impact.
The number of millet varieties – everyone grows millet for home consumption – was dwindling. Depending on the variety, millet can grow in almost any weather conditions, but in the 1990s the number of varieties had shrunk to only three or four per household. Most families were going hungry because they had too few varieties to choose from.
Saving Seeds as Insurance
That’s when GF set about promoting a comprehensive program to recover lost varieties. Seed saving groups, seed banks, and biodiversity fairs were all set up to help. Ten years on, GF has had remarkable success.
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| Nagama, Jayama, and Maraka display traditional seed saving containers |
The reason for my visit was to take part in “Beeja Mela,” a one-day event organized by GF to highlight the benefit of seed banking and the importance of organic farming. It’s clear from the success of seed savers groups, like the one that Nagama, Jayama, and Maraka belong to, that GF’s work is having an impact. Most GF farmers now have 50 varieties of millet to choose from, to share, and to save.
It’s the ultimate in crop insurance, for food and for the future.
Seedy Saturdays
Here in Canada, the popularity of community seed saving and seed exchanges is growing, and I was able to share that experience with my Indian hosts. At the Beeja Mela I was put on the spot in front of about 500 women farmers. They asked me to speak about seed-related issues in Canada. After a moment of panic, I realized I had the perfect subject: Seedy Saturdays.
Started in 1989 as a mid-winter celebration of seeds, organic agriculture, local food, and community in Vancouver, there are now almost 40 Seedy Saturdays across the country, in communities both large and small. USC staff attended six Seedy Saturdays this year, sharing information about the work of our organization and our commitment to food and seed sovereignty, in Canada and overseas.
Each Seedy Saturday is different, focusing sometimes on farming, sometimes on hunger and urban agriculture, and other times on gourmet foods or heritage seeds. Gardening help sessions and programming to teach children about food issues are other popular themes. Whatever the focus, Seedy Saturdays are valuable community-building events where people from a variety of backgrounds can come together to swap seeds, learn, share, and celebrate biodiversity.
Join us!
We’re always looking for friends who can help USC have a presence at Seedy Saturdays across the country. Some cities we need help with include: Halifax (NS), Hillsburg (ON), Kitchener (ON), Lindsay (ON), Montreal (QC), Thunder Bay (ON), and Winnipeg (MB). If you’re interested in helping or would like information, please contact me by email or phone (1-800-565-6872).
A complete list of Seedy Saturday locations can be found on the Seeds of Diversity Canada website.
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USC Canada
was founded by
Dr Lotta Hitschmanova in 1945. Our award-winning Seeds of Survival program promotes vibrant family farms, strong rural communities, and healthy ecosystems around the world.
