By Gillian Wilson | Communications Director
Last year, with your help, GRAVIS reached their goal in establishing 10 seed banks throughout 9 villages in the Thar Desert. Each seed “bank,” managed by a community group, has a variety of local seeds that are preserved through natural, sustainable storage methods.
The seed banks have dual purpose of helping users save money – not needing to purchase expensive genetically modified seeds and the required fertilizers and pesticides – while improving the health of the soil.
Poor and marginal farmers can buy seeds from these seed banks at affordable rates instead of going to the market and buying them at a much higher cost. They also avoid the need to borrow money from moneylenders who charge extremely high interest rates (50% interest or more is common).
Nearly 350 farming families have directly benefited from access to these seeds so far.
Seed saving is one part of GRAVIS’s sustainable agriculture program. Other initiatives include using natural fertilizers and planting fruit trees. Your support for sustainable agriculture projects continues to prove to be cost-effective, increase agriculture yields, improve soil fertility and protect water sources from contamination.
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