She runs the village’s seed bank

By Chandrasekhar NemanionAug. 13, 2015in Food and Water

Smt. Gangwar Anjamma, a peasant woman who has never gone to a school and cannot read and write, is now a member of the expert panel on agro biodiversity in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Government officers, scientists, civil society activists and media come to the region regularly to look at the women’s farms and seeds. Their stories regularly appear in newspapers and on television channels and also facebook. She runs the village’s seed bank.

DDS (Deccan Development Society) helped start the seed bank to preserve the variety of indigenous crops planted and allow farmers maintain to their independence from multi-national corporations.  Today, she owns 10 acres of land, all procured with her savings. She knows exactly when to sow a crop, in what order to sow them, if at all. She understands climate change, and yes, she does not use pesticide or fertilizers. And all this, in and arid landscape. She feeds her family through the year, and is a storehouse of knowledge. See some more photos of Smt. Anjamma.

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First shared on Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture network

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