19 June 2015: The Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) has reported on the outcomes of ‘Seeds for Life,’ a project in Northern India supported by the Treaty’s Benefit-Sharing Fund. The report highlights yield improvements in rice and wheat agriculture, development of resilient crop varieties, and conservation of such varieties on-farm and in local seed banks.

The project, led by Humana People to People India, a civil society organization, and Bioversity International, worked with farming communities in 50 villages in Uttar Pradesh. New crops and more varieties of rice and wheat were introduced and tested, along with new methods of cultivation, more efficient watering methods and criteria for planting, which led to increased yields. On-farm conservation practices were developed and community seed banks established. According to the Secretariat, thousands of rice- and wheat-growing farmers have benefited, and 30 rice varieties and 26 wheat varieties have been identified and stored in seven newly established community seed banks. [ITPGR Release]