FNI Policy Brief 2/2026. Lysaker, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, April 2026, 11 p.
Key points
- Community seed banks (CSBs) in India conserve and make available a huge diversity of crops and varieties to farmers, thereby strengthening their climate resilience, food and nutrition security and seed sovereignty.
- A mapping and survey of 475 CSBs shows accelerated growth since 2020 and indicates that the total number of CSBs in India is more than 1000.
- Women play a central role in CSB management and operation, underscoring the gendered nature of agrobiodiversity stewardship.
- Government support has been provided through selected schemes, but more coherent policies and support schemes are needed to ensure long-term sustainability and scaling of effective CSB models.
- Based on management structures, six types of CSBs have been identified, highlighting institutional differences that are crucial for targeted and effective policy support.
