Annapurna Seed Library in Assam is Preserving Heirloom Rice Varieties

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE WITH FOOD
This series is a collaboration between Goya & Greenpeace. Writers, researchers and activists explore what sustainability looks like out in the field, and as an extension, in your kitchen. From seed libraries and their importance in the face of climate change, to how the cultivation of ragi is woven into the needs of soil, livestock and nutrition; finding alternative uses for spent grain in the microbrewery capital of India, and offering insight into building your own toolkit for gauging sustainability, this series offers a slice of what sustainable, organic agriculture and consumption in India looks like today.

To learn more on sustainability, organic farming and the impact-driven work of Greenpeace in the field, click here.

As train lines and roads turn along the southern bend of the eastern Himalayas, the Assamese district of Jorhat reveals itself in bursts of greenery. River Bhogdoi, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, slices through the region’s centre. The area is a hotbed for biodiversity and a haven for agricultural activities. It is also home to a unique library that possesses a collection of heirloom rice landraces; the first of its kind in northeast India.

Mahan Chandra Borah, the pioneer of Annapurna Seed Library, had one goal in mind: to preserve indigenous varieties of rice seeds from perishing. The 39-year-old Meleng village native — who hails from a lineage of rice farmers — established the humble institution at his home, built alongside a little-less-than-an-acre of farmland reserved to cultivate crops on rotational basis. He started small, by borrowing only three varieties from his neighbours. “At the time, a rising consumer demand and new farming techniques encouraged farmers to grow improved and hybrid varieties of grains,” recounts the history-graduate-turned-farmer. “In the process, traditional varieties started to dwindle and I wanted to do my bit to conserve seeds before it was too late.” Cut to 15 years later, the library now boasts an impressive 400 native seeds from different parts of the northeast and the rest of the country.

What is a Seed Library?

So, how does a seed library operate? It comes close to a book library in nature. Digital portal seedlibraries.weebly.com defines it as “a place where community members can get seeds for free, or for a nominal fee, and is run for the public benefit. While some communities focus on getting folks to garden and grow their own food, others regard it as an important step to develop a network of seed savers, create locally adapted varieties, and respond proactively to climate change or loss of gene integrity due to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or to preserve genetic diversity.” After cultivation, members are expected to return a portion of the output to the library or exchange it with fellow members. Borah, who distributes the seeds among other farmers at no cost, insists that they swap the seeds among themselves in order to strengthen the agricultural system on a grass root level.

Annapurna Seed Farm, Assam — Image credit: Bijit Dutta

Ask any of the 1,200 farmers who embraced the initiative, and they’ll candidly speak of their experience. “Owing to the low rains in Assam last year, my production didn’t fare as expected, but fortunately, I did not incur a loss,” states Harish Kumar Saikia, a Jorhat-based farmer, who borrowed the aromatic and widely popular joha seeds from Borah, after spotting an advertisement for the same in a local newspaper. The 50-year-old managed to sell the fruition of his labour at a local market for Rs 60 per kilo. Seventy-year-old Suresh Saikia, who acquired three rice varieties— bora, shyamal and bhabuli joha — experimented with a minuscule portion of each. He reserved the yield for “personal use at home and to pass it on to anyone in need.”

A data maintained by Rice Knowledge Bank shows that rice occupies 2.54 million ha of the gross cropped area of 4.16 million ha and contributes 96 per cent of the total food grain production of Assam. But Borah’s objective is not confined by territorial boundaries as he often barters rice seeds with farmers from other states. Some possess medicinal properties and some can withstand climate crisis. Karung kuruvai from Chennai helps to dilute bad cholesterol in the body and cure filariasis. Navara from Kerala, believed to be nearly extinct, was used in Ayurveda treatments. Bao dhan — a variety of red rice rich in fibre, protein and iron— is perfectly adapted to suit Assam’s flood-prone terrains. The cultivation of such crops are cost-effective, less labour-intensive as they can thrive in waterlogged areas and grow up to 14 feet in height.

The Role of Seed Libraries in the Face of Climate Change

In order to strengthen food security and resilience, preserving a diversity of crops and saving local seeds that flourish in specific environment are of prime importance. The urgency of the matter is felt greatly in the face of the climate crisis and erratic weather conditions. To put things into perspective, Sustainable Table explains, “…in the event that a particular crop variety fails due to drought, flooding or a disease, another variety might survive to avoid food shortages. In stark contrast to this model of agrobiodiversity, the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s was the result of a fungus that completely destroyed the Irish potato crop because only a few varieties of potatoes had been imported from the Andes to Europe, none of which were resistant to the disease. Because of a lack of crop diversity and over-reliance on one crop to feed many of its population, Ireland experienced widespread famine and death.”

Annapurna Seed Library, Assam — Image credit: Bijit Dutta

A dark cloud of trepidation looms over Borah’s head as he mourns the irreversible damage inflicted by part-negligence and part-pressure on farmers to replace traditional rice varieties with modern ones. “A few (native) varieties that I used to collect as recently as two to five years ago have now gone extinct,” he laments. “Dol kosu, which was used by my forefathers to treat diseases like jaundice, cannot be found anymore.” Gezep sali, sial sali, vokot sali, joldubi sali and sohagmani can now only be found in records. Other major grievances perceived by the farmers were found to be flood, cyclone, unavailability of stress tolerant crop varieties, marketing and non-availability of labour in ascending order of rank.

All is not lost, though. Hope came knocking in the form of his father’s advice: to never use chemical fertilisers or pesticides, especially in areas where vegetables are grown. Even though hybrid and high-yielding grains fare better in taste and remain a popular choice among consumers, heirloom seeds grown using organic farming techniques are low-maintenance, better adapted to climate resilience and are considered paramount to further prevent the loss of endangered rice species. They are also non-genetically modified, making it possible for farmers to save and reuse them rather than purchase new seeds every year. “The goal is to make farmers self-reliant, so they can produce their own seeds, create their own pest-repellents (we don’t call it pesticide because we don’t like to kill pests) and manure as opposed to buying them from markets,” states the recipient of the 2019 Plant Genome Saviour Farmers award conferred by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

Borah’s journey has been as arduous as it has been rewarding, albeit he believes he still has a long way to go. After being turned down by multiple organisations, Borah joined forces with the Assam-based Balipara Foundation — a conservation programme that strives for ecological protection and restoration of the Eastern Himalayan Region. The platform acted as a vehicle to peddle an educational outreach to farmers and anyone with a penchant for agricultural curiosity and learning, in addition to hosting workshops for school and college children. Over the years, he met and brainstormed with likeminded peers, including Peggy Carswell of Fertile Ground — a non-profit working to promote organic and traditional farming practices and tea cultivation in the northeast. “I don’t need money,” he admits. “I only wish to disseminate ideas on how we can save our seeds.”

How Urban Residents Can Help

The buck does not stop with rice seeds and the onus of environmental welfare mustn’t just rest on the farmers’ shoulders. On the country’s west coast of Maharashtra, an urban movement is encouraging city dwellers to do their bit. In summer 2021, The Farm People, a garden centre located in the outskirts of Mumbai, set up a mango seeds collection drive in the city amidst a COVID-19 propelled lockdown. “We amassed more than 3,500 mango seeds from the city’s residents and distributed it among farmers and local communities all across the state, along with nutrient packages and other components to incentivise organic farming,” explains Rainisha Vora, General Manager at TFP. The leftover seeds were sown in the region of Wada. The pandemic upended many livelihoods and the agriculture sector was hard hit. The initiative acted as a partial financial relief for farmers who would otherwise have had to turn to marketplaces to buy seeds and other resources.

A similar vision took root in Hyderabad during the spread of the novel coronavirus in 2020. Thirty-three-year-old Anil Kumar’s love for plants culminated into a passion that he now shares with 25,000 global members through his Facebook group, Free Seeds and Plant for Swap. The tech recruiter would often bring home plants and seeds from his father’s office and trade them with his friends for a vegetation of his liking. He eventually implemented the idea on social media, where community members from the world over, including India, Brazil, the U.K. and the U.S., can swap plant and seed of choice for free, while only having to bear the postal coverage. “Aloe Vera, cabbage, corn seeds, sweet basil and succulents are popular, but unique varieties of seeds and seasonal plants are sent to habitats that are best suited for their survival,” states Kumar, who has himself exchanged over 40 plants with fellow community members.

Anyone can be a seed warrior, believes Borah. Setting up a kitchen garden in urban spaces can be a quietly revolutionary act and can even contribute to a greater environmental cause. “Instead of throwing them (seeds) away, plant them in pots at home. Encourage people in your circle to do the same and it might be the beginning of a new seed saviours’ era.”

Pooja Naik is a Mumbai-based journalist, whose affinity for travel and food has often led her to many a cultural crossroads. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveller India.

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