Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr P.K. Mishra on Thursday called for recognising farmers as custodians and innovators of India’s agricultural biodiversity and integrating their traditional knowledge with scientific research, seed systems and market opportunities.
Addressing the 22nd Foundation Day of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA) and the Plant Genome Saviour Award Ceremony, Dr Mishra noted that the occasion also marked 25 years of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001.
He said India’s rich agricultural biodiversity was crucial for developing crop varieties resilient to climate change, water stress, pests and diseases, while preserving traditional knowledge, food cultures and community livelihoods.
Highlighting the country’s agricultural heritage, he referred to India’s 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots and cited Koraput in Odisha, recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2012 as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, as an example of community-led conservation.
Dr Mishra said India’s framework for farmers’ rights was distinctive as it balanced the rights of plant breeders with recognition of farmers as conservers, cultivators and developers of plant varieties. Nearly half of the varieties registered under the PPVFRA were farmers’ varieties, he noted.
He also highlighted the importance of benefit-sharing provisions and the National Gene Fund in ensuring fair returns to communities involved in conserving genetic resources.
Referring to India’s scientific capabilities, Dr Mishra said the National Genebank at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) was the second-largest in the world. He also noted that around 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties had been developed under the National Agricultural Research System.
He further highlighted the potential of Geographical Indications (GI) in creating economic opportunities for distinctive agricultural products.
On India’s international engagement in promoting farmers’ rights, Dr Mishra referred to its participation in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the 2022 Governing Body session in New Delhi and the 2023 Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights.
He also highlighted the Indore Declaration adopted by BRICS Agriculture Ministers and the establishment of a Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems.
Calling for a shift from recognition to empowerment, Dr Mishra stressed the need to strengthen community seed banks and field gene banks, integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and connect farmers’ varieties with quality seed systems, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and wider markets.
He also called for promoting farmer entrepreneurship and ensuring fair and transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms so that conservation efforts translate into sustainable economic opportunities.
Emphasising the need to ensure sustained economic returns for farmers conserving traditional varieties, Dr Mishra said, “An award honours a farmer once; a seed chain, a market and a fair share of benefits sustain the farmer every season.”
He said safeguarding agricultural biodiversity was a shared responsibility of farmers, scientists, universities, industry, the government and society.
Concluding his address, Dr Mishra said farmers must be recognised not merely as participants in India’s agricultural transformation but also as its contributors and beneficiaries. He congratulated the PPVFRA and all award recipients on the occasion.
-PIB
