Suruchi Barik lives in Kandagarh village in the Gaisilet block of Bargarh district in Odisha. On her 3 acres of land, she cultivates Kodo millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, little millet, green gram, and sesame. For the past 16 years, she has been a member of the Ahinsa Club and later became involved with Bhittibhumi and the Deshi Bihan Suraksha Mancha, which was initiated with the support of SWISSAID.
Suruchi Barik is a prominent figure in the Padampur subdivision and is known for her leading role in ecological farming. She is also a cultural icon who, along with her friend Betikhai Beriha, uses folk songs and dance to promote ecological farming and indigenous seeds. Suruchi strongly believes in the quality of native seeds, such as millets, pulses, and paddy, which she inherited from her father as part of their family tradition. However, as she considered continuing this tradition, she noticed a significant shift in agricultural practices due to the impact of green revolution technology in the Balangir region. Many people abandoned traditional Deshi chasa (local method) farming methods, favouring chemical farming that employed high-yielding seeds.
Suruchi Barik continues to preserve Indigenous seeds along with Betikhai despite a lack of interest from others. Many have tried to persuade her to abandon traditional seeds in favour of high-yield varieties associated with the Green Revolution, arguing that she should only cultivate paddy. This pressure has left her helpless in the changing agricultural landscape.
Fortunately, organizations like the Ahinsa Club, Bhittibhumi, and Deshi Bihan Surakshya Manch, with the support of SWISSAID, have begun promoting ecological farming using indigenous seeds. The process began with the Ahinsa Club, and Bhittbhumi has motivated her to become a seed saver. Suruchi extended her outreach beyond her village to promote the quality of indigenous seeds, millet benefits, and chemical-free farming principles. Alongside Siba Prasad Sahu, a pioneer of this initiative, she worked to preserve and collect native seeds of various crops.
Bhittibhumi and his member organisations contributed to the capacity building of Suruchi Barik and other farmers by organising workshops, training sessions, and seed festivals. These initiatives aimed to strengthen the seed bank, ensure quality seed production, and introduce new cultivation methods. This helped improve weed and pest management, increase crop yields, and develop advanced organic manure and remedies. As a farmer, she embodies the principles of being loan-free, cultivating chemical-free crops, and practising self-reliant farming. Suruchi produces several types of organic manure, including Brahmastra, Dasparni, Jibamruta, Bijamruta, Handi Khat, Peja Shakti, and Panchagavya.
As a woman, Sururchi successfully motivated other female farmers to follow her lead. She encouraged them to leave their homes and villages to participate in this movement. Together, they established a seed bank named the Ahinsa Seed Bank. With support and guidance from Bhittibhumi, the seed bank emerged as a primary institution promoting ecological farming by providing indigenous seeds and training. Suruchi Barik plays multiple roles in her community as a frontline seed saver. She preserves various millets, pulses, and paddy seeds and has received proper training, which has enabled her to serve as a quality seed producer for the Ahinsa Seed Bank. Suruchi has a diverse collection of seeds, including finger millet, kodo millet, foxtail millet, and little millet, along with green gram, black gram, lablab beans, and sesame seeds.
Additionally, she is actively involved in the bio manure centre, seed producers’ group, and cultural team. She finds joy in her contributions to the community and takes pride in her leadership role in promoting ecological farming with indigenous seeds. She is also a forest dweller who collects Mahua, Kendu leaves, and other forest products, earning approximately 40,000 annually from these activities.
She is a dedicated learner, folk singer and dancer. Through her art, she effectively communicates the concept of ecological farming, using folk songs and dances to promote Indigenous seeds and sustainable practices. She is a pionneer of using Sambalpuri folk songs and dances alongside her fellow women farmers, to advocate for ecological farming. Their performances during Seed and Food Festivals have inspired ecological farmers, especially women farmers.
This initiative has revitalized her life as a woman farmer and breathed new life into the indigenous seeds. These organizations have taken her seeds and shared them with other farmers. Suruchi has experienced a shift in her role; she now receives training and has opportunities to visit different regions to observe the work of ecological farmers.