Due to increasing new technologies in agriculture and the demand for hybrid seeds, the importance of traditional local seeds is gradually declining on a global scale. With the aim of improving the situation by restoring and promoting the importance of traditional seeds, Vaagdhara organised more than 90 events in the form of Seed Utsav (Seed Exchange Festival) from 18th to 22nd June 2024 under the guidance of the Agriculture and Tribal Swaraj Group in its working area, in which around 10,000 tribal farmers participated. At these events, traditional indigenous seeds were displayed and ideas about their characteristics and importance were exchanged. Beej Utsav was organised in the tribal belt of the trijunction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The role of women tribal farmers was particularly encouraging.

The Seed Utsav was organised with various objectives in mind, the most important of which is to ensure the conservation and availability of high-quality traditional and climate-friendly seeds. Many seed species are endangered today, hence the Seed Utsav programme was organised which involved actions like promoting traditional seed varieties through the media, ensuring the availability of traditional seeds to every family at the community level, eliminating the market dependency of seeds, practising traditional methods of seed conservation in the community and reviving traditional agricultural practices.

The community, under the leadership of the community organisations of Vaagdhara, including the Farmers' and Adivasi Sangathan, Gram Swaraj Samuh and Bal Swaraj Groups, participated in the Seed Utsav by parading around the villages with traditional musical instruments and spreading slogans for the conservation of indigenous seeds. Farmers contributed all the seed varieties that they preserve and seed exhibitions were organised where the farmers exchanged their seeds with one another. Moreover, the discussions on traditional seeds raised awareness about their quality, their health benefits, as well as the methods and measures to preserve them.

At a time when a few multinational companies are doing their best to consolidate their dominance over the world's seed resources, events like the Beej Utsav help to protect and strengthen farmers' rights to their seeds. More than 50 varieties of traditional seeds were presented at the exhibition, including some that are threatened with extinction: Black Kang, Red Maize, Santhi Maize, Ragi, Rajgira in the cereals category; Bailadiya Urad in the pulses category; Brown Gourd, Aabka in the vegetables category; Gundi, Arudu, Kosch, Nagfali, Timru, Ramphal in the crops category. The community also took an oath to preserve and promote these varieties. The farmers who devoted themselves to the protection of seeds were given a special honour. They were honoured as Seed Mitras or Seed Mothers.

The secretary of the organisation, Jayesh Joshi, said that it is the tribal community that has preserved the heritage of its natural resources for centuries. This heritage especially includes traditional local seeds, which are of utmost importance in today's world where a few multinational companies are increasingly controlling the world's seed industry. By organising such seed festivals or seed fairs, the organisation tries to set an example for the tribal community to other communities and the outside world so that they too are inspired to preserve the local seeds in their respective areas.

This is the only way Beej Swaraj can be restored in the true sense of the word.

This Beej Utsav also has a special significance for the preparations for the Kharif harvest, as the seeds are sown with the rains. Therefore, the exchange of seeds and information is particularly important at this time in order to increase one's own chances and diversity of harvest.
As a result of all these efforts, a favourable environment for the protection of seeds in the area has been created thanks to the efforts of Vaagdhara. The farmers feel that they urgently need this work and one of the reasons for the success of the Beej Utsav is that work has been going on continuously for many years to protect these traditional seeds.

The organisation's seed expert, Prashant Thorat, informed the participants that seeds are the basis of agriculture. Whereas farmers traditionally cultivated their own seeds and were therefore sovereign, they are becoming increasingly dependent on the external seed market. Currently, around 70 per cent of seeds are no longer in the hands of farmers, but on the market. This development is particularly favoured by politics. Every year, the central and state governments spend thousands of rupees on providing hybrid seeds. This hybrid seed is not only transported over hundreds of kilometres but is mostly unsuitable for the local conditions and climate. Additionally, due to hybrid seeds and modern farming methods, the expenditure on irrigation, toxic chemicals and pesticides is continuously increasing, which results in the cost of farming rising day by day. Therefore, agriculture is becoming a loss-making business. At the same time, the availability of traditional local seeds, which are rich in nutrients and suitable for the local climate, is constantly decreasing. The youth is forgetting the culture of seed conservation, traditional seed saving and promotion. Under these circumstances, we need to recognise our seed culture and make serious efforts to restore Seed Swaraj in the community.

Parmesh Patidar, Programme Implementation Lead of Vaagdhara, remarked that in this age of increasing marketisation, this Beej Utsav will prove to be an effective means of reducing the market dependence of marginal tribal farmers on seeds as traditional seeds are a symbol of agricultural traditions and cultural heritage passed on from generation to generation. These seeds have many characteristics, e.g. they are adapted to the local climate and soil, which means they produce higher yields and require less care, promote biodiversity and help maintain ecological balance. In addition, plants grown from traditional seeds are rich in health-promoting elements. It is therefore important to preserve traditional indigenous seeds so that we can offer future generations a better tomorrow.

Majid Khan, Lead of Vaagdhara Technical Support Unit, said that active participation of local farmers, members of the Saksham Samooh, members of the Gram Sawaraj Samooh, members of Bal Swaraj Samooh and members of Krish Evam Adivasi Swaraj Sangthan was ensured to make the Beej Utsav programme successful. The children were not only educated about the importance of traditional seeds but were also allowed to share their experiences and knowledge. To preserve traditional seeds, the programme focused on setting up seed banks in the communities to safely store the traditional seeds brought by the farmers. This way, the seeds of the future can be preserved and nurtured.

The villagers are very enthusiastic about the Beej Utsav. According to farmer Vjiaypal, there is now a platform for everything the community wants to know and do to protect indigenous seeds. Now they will also involve the youth and take this work forward. Other farmers, especially women, felt that such seed festivals should be organised every year. A farmer named Kesar shared that she had brought many types of seeds and is taking home a variety of new seeds. We all benefit from such an exchange.

One reason for the success of the Beej Utsav is that Vaagdhara has been working to protect traditional seeds for many years. Many marches have been undertaken to raise awareness on the importance of the traditional seed varieties, training sessions have been organised on how to continue this seed protection and efforts have been made in various villages to save community seeds.

Government officials and employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, elected representatives of the Panchayat and colleagues from other institutions were also united at the Beej Utsav. This way, it became a broad-based effort and received the support of all.

To conclude, here are the words of PL Patel, a senior partner of the organisation: "We hope that such Beej Utsav will continue to be organised successfully in the future as they bring great benefits to all.