What are landraces
Odisha’s SOP Boosts Traditional Seed Revival: Landraces are traditional crop varieties shaped by generations of farmer selection and natural adaptation. Unlike genetically uniform hybrid or commercial seeds, landraces are diverse, climate-resilient, and better suited to local conditions. They offer pest resistance, nutrition, and ecological balance.
Static GK fact: India has over 166 agrobiodiversity hotspots, especially in tribal and hilly regions.
Modern farming and the loss of landraces
The Green Revolution pushed the adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs). Though it improved food production, it led to the erosion of genetic diversity. In Odisha, many traditional seeds vanished as farmers shifted to uniform cropping, weakening local seed systems.
Static GK fact: The Green Revolution began in India during the 1960s, primarily with wheat and rice.
Odisha’s new SOP for landrace revival
To reverse this trend, Odisha launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Shree Anna Abhiyan. It focuses on community-led conservation of traditional seeds and aims to formalise their use in agriculture.
Key highlights of the SOP:
- Agrobiodiversity surveys to locate landraces with traits like yield stability and pest resistance.
- Creation of Crop Diversity Blocks (CDBs) at the sub-district level to grow and preserve seeds.
- Launch of Community Seed Centres (CSCs), managed by farmers and women’s self-help groups.
- Digital registration of landraces with information on their features and traditional uses.
- Participatory varietal selection (PVS) with farmer-led trials across different zones.
- Seed release through the Landrace Varietal Release Committee (LVRC), ensuring quality.
Legal recognition and community rights
The SOP guarantees community ownership of landraces. Seeds are officially recorded in the names of custodian farmers or communities. Their local names are preserved in databases to honour indigenous knowledge.
Legal support is given through the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPVFRA), 2001, protecting farmers’ rights to seed use, exchange, and conservation.
Static GK Tip: PPVFRA is administered by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ongoing progress and recognition
Odisha has conserved 163 landraces, including 14 farmer-favoured varieties and 103 under nutritional profiling. The initiative is part of the Shree Anna Abhiyan, a millet-focused mission in line with FAO’s GIAHS recognition of Koraput, Odisha.
Static GK fact: Koraput was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Site by the FAO in 2012.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Odisha’s SOP Boosts Traditional Seed Revival:
| Topic | Detail |
| Launch Date of SOP | August 2025 |
| State | Odisha |
| Number of landraces conserved | 163 |
| FAO Recognition | Koraput region under GIAHS |
| Governing Act | Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 |
| Administering Authority | Ministry of Agriculture |
| Key Initiative | Shree Anna Abhiyan |
| Community-led Setup | Community Seed Centres (CSCs) |
| Evaluation Body | Landrace Varietal Release Committee (LVRC) |
| International Support | FAO through GIAHS initiative |
