Beejotsav 2022- National Seed Festival

Beejotsav, the National Seed Festival is taking place at a time when the level of farmers' distress is at its peak. The farmers hardly have any freedom when it comes to sowing indigenous seeds and taking up new farming practices, which ultimately leads to the use of genetically modified(GMO) seeds and other carcinogenic inputs in the form of pesticides and weedicides. The ever-increasing use of all these inorganic inputs is not only putting the health of everyone at risk but is also leaving farmers in debt with no access to indigenous seeds. Also, the gap between consumers and farmers is increasing day by day leading to complete negligence towards farming and related socio-economic issues.

We believe that safe, chemical-free food and healthy biodiversity is the right of every citizen. However, there are forces working to take away land, seed, and government support from small farmers and pave the way for corporate-controlled, chemical, and mechanized agriculture. Our food systems have been affected in numerous ways, leading to different chronic health problems. It is at such a critical juncture that this Beejotsav is being proposed.

With Beejotsav, Amhi Amchya Arogyasathi has been hosting the seed festival for the last 9 years. ‘Beejotsav’ is an attempt to directly connect the consumers and producers, to reduce the exploitation in the value chain. Beejotsav is connected to various platforms such as ASHA, BBSM, and other NGOs which work towards the conservation of indigenous seeds, organic farming, and safe food. The Beejotsav will focus on ecological agriculture, free trade and agricultural livelihood, women farmers’ rights, food safety and hazardous agri-technologies like pesticides, fertilizers and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); seed sovereignty and diversity, land rights, economic policies impacting Indian agriculture, Adivasi agriculture, climate change, and consumer support/empowerment, etc. The sessions would mainly centre on what an alternative policy and action course should be, and also on ongoing work on these issues and advocacy agendas for the future. The Beejotsav will have parallel sessions to meet its objectives, in addition to a biodiversity festival, food festival, exhibition, practical demonstrations, public lectures, and cultural programmes. The effort would be made to make discussions interactive and participatory.

This Beejotsav will not only be a national seed festival for mutual learning, sharing and collective planning, but also an occasion to reach out to various networks, alliances, and people’s movements to extend solidarity and draw from their expertise and experience. It will make us more aware of the very food we are eating. It will help strengthen the work of seed savers, organic farmers and people working in the domain of sustainability. The Beejotsav has started dialogue and networking of seed savers, farmers and people working in various domains. Beejotsav has started its studio where content is being generated to help the farmers, consumers and seed savers. Probable outcomes are a good exchange of knowledge and information about various policy developments impacting farmers, exchange of indigenous seeds, a database of indigenous seed savers, public awareness through a seed festival and exhibition-cum-sale of organic food and sustainable lifestyle products.