How one family in Rajasthan is reviving and protecting tribal agricultural heritage

By Bharat Dogra  

Baal Singh, a respected elder of the Bhil Adivasi community in Rajasthan’s Banswara district, is a wealth of knowledge on his community's traditional farming practices. When I recently visited him at his home in Nisnawat village, he spoke passionately about the need to protect the diverse, time-honored crops that form the foundation of tribal agriculture. He was equally firm in his belief that the growing reliance on market-purchased hybrid seeds has been detrimental to farmers.

Baal Singh explained, "These hybrid seeds from companies often require chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They make us dependent on expensive market inputs, which increases our costs and debt, threatening our survival as small farmers." He noted that these seeds often need more water and can harm the soil, making the crops susceptible to pests. "Sometimes farmers have suffered huge losses when these seeds simply didn't grow properly," he added.

In contrast, he said, "We can trust our traditional seeds. We've saved and preserved them, so we know their characteristics and how to cultivate them. They require less water, are more resilient to pests and diseases, and can be grown at a very low cost using materials from within our villages." For small farmers, he emphasized, keeping costs low and avoiding unnecessary debt is crucial.

Maize is the most important food for his community, and Baal Singh pointed out that there have always been diverse traditional varieties to suit different tastes. "Our younger generation should know more about them," he asserted.

He then took me to his farm to show me his traditional "Hangdi" cultivation pattern. In this small field, he had sown nearly a dozen crops—including millets, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables—at the same time. "They'll be harvested at different times throughout the year, so the family will always have some crop ready," he explained.

This intricate system, based on the knowledge passed down through generations, allows farmers to know which crops grow well together in mixed farming and what rotations are best. Baal Singh believes it should never be abandoned, and that the younger generation must understand its importance.

Several years ago, when the voluntary organization Vaagdhara began working in the region with a similar philosophy, Baal Singh was thrilled and became an enthusiastic supporter. He joined a village-level self-reliance group, or "swaraj," and his daughter-in-law, Pushpa, became a key member of a women's self-help group, or "saksham samooh," promoting low-cost, self-reliant farming among women.

Baal Singh’s son, Dinesh, is equally dedicated to these principles. "These aren't outdated ideas," he told me. "I feel they are essential for protecting the interests of our generation and those to come. We must understand the importance of saving our seeds, our heritage, and our natural farming practices. There's so much talk about environmental protection, and here in our village, we contribute to it every day."

In an era where external technologies have caused havoc for farming communities, particularly in the Global South, it was truly inspiring to meet a family so committed to protecting their traditional heritage across two generations. These efforts to conserve the diversity of traditional seeds and crops deserve to be widely supported.

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The author is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, and When the Two Streams Met