India

CROPS4HD in India

India is part of the project because it has a progressive seed legislation, which allows the coexistence of Formal Seed Systems and Peasant Seed Systems.

Context

India was chosen as a role model for its progressive seed legislation, which allows the coexistence of Formal Seed Systems and Peasant Seed Systems. This is an example of good practice that the project promotes to address the conflicting interests between breeders’ and farmers’ rights, as stated in ITPGRFA (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) and UNDROP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants). India is therefore an important voice for influencing policy during negotiations of relevant global frameworks.

India supply-related activities are in the states Karnataka, Odisha and West-Bengal with different pedo-climatic and socio-economic contexts. The India map indicates the different locations for market and production. Policy activities in India target mainly state level governments and their procurement policies, due to the current situation and highly sensitive agricultural policy environment.

Key Outcomes

Demand
  1. Share of consumers having increased diversity in consumption/frequency of NUS in weekly diet at household level is increased by 20%.
  2. Barriers to access markets for NUS are lowered in four out of six food systems and NUS volume in markets increased.
  3. Share of peasants with access to NUS seeds is increased by 30%.
Supply
  1. 20 crops (NUS crops, non‐NUS crops and NUS varieties) are newly cultivated at farm level.
  2. Volume of NUS leaving farm gate is increased by 10%.
  3. Incomes of 3’000 peasants are increased.
  4. Food security of 5’000 peasants is improved.
  5. Climate resilience of 5’000 peasants is improved.
Policy
  1. Effectiveness of sub‐national policies and legal frameworks in agriculture and food systems for smallholder farmers is increased.

Recent News

Inspiring Women Farmers in the Marketplace: Innovation in Red Gram Processing

In a village in Karnataka’s Dharwad District, India, a group of landless women has redefined rural entrepreneurship by transforming traditional food processing into a viable and sustainable business. The Shri Vinayaka Self-Help Group (SHG) began their journey with limited resources but a shared determination to improve their livelihoods.

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