Recently, Odisha notified a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under its Shree Anna Abhiyan (SAA) to integrate traditional crop varieties (landraces) into formal seed systems. 

Key Features of the SOP

• Objective: Bridge the gap between formal seed systems (high-yielding, certified varieties) and informal, community-managed seed systems.

• Scope Expansion: From millet landraces to traditional crops including pulses, tubers, and cereals.
• Farmer-Centric Seed Governance: Emphasis on farmers’ knowledge, rights, and custodianship over genetic resources.

What Are Landraces?

• Genetically diverse crop populations developed through generations of farmer selection and natural adaptation.

• Characteristics:
  • Local agro-climatic suitability
  • Climate resilience and pest tolerance
  • Nutritional richness and yield stability under low-input conditions
• Threat: Green Revolution’s emphasis on HYVs led to marginalisation and genetic erosion of landraces.

Key Components of the Roadmap

• Agrobiodiversity surveys:
  • Identify valuable landraces across Odisha based on taste, adaptability, climate resilience, pest resistance, nutrition, etc.
  • Combine farmers’ knowledge with scientific validation.
• Creation of institutional structures:
  • Crop Diversity Blocks (CDBs): Operational hubs for conservation, purification, and multiplication.
  • Community Seed Centres (CSCs): Run by FPOs, farmer groups, women’s SHGs to carry out CDB activities and facilitate legal registration under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPVFRA).
• Digital Landrace Registry:
  • State-level registry to document agro-morphological traits, geo-tags, ethnobotanical information, and traditional uses.
• Participatory varietal selection:
  • Multi-location field trials and on-farm demonstrations with at least 10 farmers over two years.
  • Criteria: Yield stability, climate adaptability, pest resistance, nutrition, and culinary/cultural suitability.
  • Farmers’ inputs central to decision-making.
• Seed standards and varietal release:
  • Landrace Varietal Release Committee (LVRC) finalises seed standards.
  • Developed with inputs from PPVFRA, ICAR institutions, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, civil society, and custodian farmers.
  • Two-year post-release period for validation before formal notification.

Recognition of Community Rights

• All landraces registered in the name of respective communities or custodian farmers with Krushi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) facilitation.
• Landraces will retain their original names, with location-specific identity preserved in official records.
• Ensures formal recognition of farmers’ contributions and protects their rights under law.

Significance of the SoP

• Sustainability: Supports climate-resilient, low-input agriculture.
• Inclusivity: Formalises community seed systems, historically excluded from policy frameworks.
• Agrobiodiversity preservation: Reverses genetic erosion caused by HYV dominance.
• Global alignment: Builds on Odisha’s GIAHS recognition for Koraput region by FAO.

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