Non Hybrid Seeds: Sustainable Solution to India’s Food Shortage

by Abhijit Banerjee on December 25, 2009

in Energy & Peak Oil, Sustainable Living in India

Hybrid varieties are more popular these days than the non hybrid seeds, but they are not good for those aiming for self sufficiency. They may not give the taste, productivity or the appearance we want. Its food value is also less.

Suited for small market gardens

Seeds which can give the same results as the parent plant are the open pollinated (or “heirloom” “traditional”) varieties. It may not be possible to transport them to thousands of miles or store them for months in warehouses, but they serve the purpose in a small market garden or a home garden. Adoption of such practices on a widespread scale can go a long way in mitigating the food shortage problem in India.

In spite of being the second largest rice producer and the third largest rice exporter in the world, India’s rice productivity is 50 per cent of China and the US, and 33 per cent of Egypt. It is the fear of foodgrain shortage when the country’s population is expected to touch 1.3 billion by 2017, that’s speeding up the adoption of hybrid seeds. India’s wheat productivity is at par with the US, but is 55 per cent and 40 per cent that of China and Egypt respectively.

Hybrids to suit local conditions

To tackle this problem of shortage, Monsanto India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based developer of hybrid seeds and biotech crops Monsanto Company, has started a country-wide campaign to attract Indian talents into the development of high yielding and hybrid rice and wheat seeds, suited to local conditions.

With proper and adequate thrust it is possible that hybrid seeds may contribute to increased productivity and go a long way in meeting the demands of the country. But without adequate state control and mechanism, today illegal hybrid seeds are proliferating and have become a veritable cottage industry. On a larger scale it runs the risk of getting out of hand.

Cannot be harvested and replanted

Another major problem with hybrid seeds is that the seeds of the grown vegetables generally cannot be harvested and replanted the next year. This is because the seed from the first generation of hybrid plants does not reliably produce true copies. This necessitates purchase of new seed for every planting. Open-pollinating non-hybrid seeds, on the other hand, can be harvested and planted year after year, making them an important addition to any food storage plan. Though hybrid seeds are more effective, non-hybrids offer higher nutrition.

This, therefore, offers enormous scope for small farmers throughout the country to cultivate sustainably and feed the growing numbers in future.

Watch video on how Non-Hybrid Survival Vegetable Seeds are the best way to provide our families with 100% organic foods.