India was once home to 100,000 rice varieties, but that number has shrunken drastically as the government continues to push farmers to grow high-yield, less hardy hybrid strains of rice to feed the population. But these varieties are not always the best for the local circumstances. That’s why thousands of farmers are working together to protect the remaining ancient varieties and circulate seeds amongst farms. The movement not only safeguards these special varieties of rice but also reduces dependence on hybrid rice strains that require ever-increasing pesticide applications.
This article was originally published on September 26, 2017
