The importance of traditional seeds in agroecology transitions: a case study from Himachal Pradesh in India

This paper is based on a qualitative case study of an initiative by the state of Himachal Pradesh in North India to transition all its farmers to natural farming, an agroecological approach. The paper explores the importance of traditional seeds in the context of a transition to natural farming where cash crops and hybrid seeds had been previously promoted. The study was conducted in thirty-five villages across five districts in Himachal Pradesh. Farmers were interviewed to explore the transition processes and assess their experiences of how traditional seeds and hybrid seeds respond to natural farming practices. The research indicates that many farmers view hybrid seeds as lacking climate resilience, necessitating the use of agrochemicals, and being culturally and practically unsuitable. Employing natural farming practices with hybrid crops resulted in increased workloads and lower yields in cereals. Additionally, the research explores how state mechanisms facilitated access to traditional seeds and identifies areas that require further effort to revitalize farmer seed systems. We argue that supporting traditional seed systems is a key enabling factor for agroecology: it is crucial to maintaining food security, improving health and nutrition, and building resilience to climate change.