We are pleased to announce the “Wayanad Community Seed Fest 2023” to be held from March, 10-11th 2023 at CAbC MSSRF Campus. Seed fest or Vittutsava is being jointly organized by CAbC, Wayanad District Tribal Development Action Council (WDTDAC), SEED CARE and local self-governance since its inception in the year 2014
Background
Food and nutrition security is still a big challenge for the Indian subcontinent in spite of agricultural intensification and improvement in productivity. It has been reported that Indian women and children are suffering from chronic energy deficiency, underweight, obesity and anaemia due to nutrient deficiency (NFHS, 2015-16). It has become clear that the lack of diversity due to concentrating on fewer crops can negatively affect the human diet, which may cause malnutrition and diet-related diseases. To attain food and nutrition security, it is important to pay attention towards the nutrient-rich agrobiodiversity around us, especially the neglected and underutilized crops.
Agrobiodiversity, with its multitude of genes, diverse agrarian ecosystems, and the varied number of species, form the resource basis for food. This diversity plays an important role in providing food and nutritional security to poor and marginal community. However, these high-value resources are at risk because of industrial agriculture, fragmentation of the land, and, importantly, changes in climatic conditions and a similar condition prevails in Wayanad, Kerala.Wayanad district of Kerala has witnessed large-scale changes in the pattern of agriculture from food crop cultivation to cash crop cultivation in the last four decades, and farm diversity has been fast disappearing.
The Community Seed Fest is a special programme that envisages ensuring the continuity of on-farm agrobiodiversity conservation through networks and partnerships. Seed Fest 2023 aims to continue the awareness programmes in the village level on the importance of agrobiodiversity conservation aspects and nutritional importance. The event will give specific attention through seminar on ‘Health and Nutritional Security of the Tribal Communities and Importance of Agrobiodiversity’ and “Role of millets in health and nutritional security” since the year 2023 has been declared as the International Year of Millets by the United Nations. Experts such as Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Former Chief Scientist, WHO) and other experts will interact with farmers
A major event in the Wayanad Community Seed Fest 2023 is the signature “Seed Exchange Program”; the seeds exchanged can ensure their continuity and reach to people for on-farm conservation. Wayanad Community Seed Fest also forms the platform to exhibit luxurious agrobiodiversity of Wayanad and will also be an educative programme for all public, academicians and children