World Environment DayAhmedabad: Hitesh Meniya, a farmer in Vadali near Surendranagar’s Chotila, made an observation: Crops have not been tasting the same for some years. “Seemingly high-yield variants fast replaced conventional seeds. Tomatoes have lost their tanginess and bitter gourds their bitterness,” said Meniya. “Some three years ago, we began collecting seeds from farmers growing conventional crops organically. Since then, we have been able to create a seed bank of 20-plus varieties which have been part of farming in the region for generations,” he added.This World Environment Day, themed ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,’ experts point at farming as a major sector that can help fight climate change. The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) recently hosted the workshop, ‘Biodiversity Connect: Dialogue, Learning and Action for People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)’ in collaboration with Gujarat Biodiversity Board (GBB). “Participants were asked to see the exercise not as mere documentation but as a dynamic, action-oriented tool for biodiversity conservation, local planning and community participation,” said Suman Rathod, a CEE coordinator.In 2024-25, about 1,500 PBRs were made documenting the biodiversity of respective villages and towns, according to the GBB website.Himmat Chauhan from Khambhat, whose NGO is part of the PBR initiative, said that tribal regions have a wide variety of bhaji (edible leaves) compared to the three to four commonly consumed in urban areas. “We have launched an initiative to conserve roselle, which is used widely in cooking in the region. Likewise, work is also on for nagli and other traditional crops,” he said.Kashiram Khicha, working in the Bavla-Sanand region, said they are conserving desi (native) kamod, a rice variety. “For nutritious red rice, we roamed the Nal Sarovar region with specific communities in 12 villages and have conserved its seed. Native crops help the soil and are also more resilient,” he said.
