Our Seeds Are In Danger

 

India Seed Sovereignty Alliance
Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch

The Alliance has 100 dedicated seed committees from 18 states of India. We are farmers, seed savers, intellectuals, individuals, experts, scientists, designers. We save, promote, and exchange traditional seeds, without compromising farmers’ rights and seed sovereignty. Our seeds are our collective bio-cultural heritage.

CONTRIBUTE

View the alliance

Why farmers prefer traditional seeds over hybrids?

Seed Committees

States

“Hybrids are designed to force the farmer to the market every season, since they do not breed true. Yield being the only focus, Hybrids are quantity empty of quality, and weight empty of nutrition.”

— Shalini Bhutani, Madhya Pradesh

Emerging threats to our agriculture, crop diversity and our farmers are the field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops that the Central Government has allowed. This can widely contaminate our traditional varieties; and such damage would be unstoppable and irreversible. This network unites all corners of the country in a single voice for our seed sovereignty.

The alliance

The Indian Seed Sovereignty Alliance Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch is farmers, seed savers, intellectuals, individuals, experts, scientists, designers.

EVENTS

Seed festivals, training on seed-saving, policy discussions, farming workshops. 

PRESS

View our positions and activities documented by the media. 

Our Stance

Seed Sovereignty Declaration

Seed Sovereignty Declaration

The seed is the first link in the food chain. It is a sacred code of evolution, an embodiment of life and memory, a latent world waiting to unfold. The seed gives itself to Earth — warm soil, air and moisture —and comes alive. Drawing energy from the sun, it grows and...

A patent on seed implies that a farmer saving seed is an “intellectual property theft”. It means more a complete corporate monopoly, a system of enslaving farmers, where the freedom of seed disappears, the freedom of farmers disappears.

— Jacob Nellithanam, Convener

Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch, Indian Seed Sovereignty Alliance