In Humnapur village of Telangana, no farmer buys seeds from seed companies. They don’t need to, because Begari Lakshmamma’s seed bank has 60 to 70 varieties of native seeds. The objective of the seed bank was to reduce dependence on seeds manufactured by companies and to conserve native varieties. Nearly half the village borrows seeds from her. Some from adjoining villages also make the journey to her doorstep to pick up seeds.
Lakshmamma’s seed bank was set up in the early 1990s with the help of the Deccan Development Society (DDS). When the villagers. . .