India’s Agricultural Biodiversity Emerges as Strategic Shield Against Global Disruptions: FSII

The industry body stressed that biodiversity is no longer confined to environmental concerns and has become directly linked to economic resilience, national preparedness, and agricultural sustainability. FSII stated that diverse and locally adaptive seed systems are becoming increasingly critical during periods of global uncertainty, helping stabilize agricultural productivity and reduce vulnerability to supply disruptions.

Speaking on the issue, Ajai Rana, Chairman of FSII and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Savannah Seeds, said the world is rapidly recognizing that biodiversity plays a central role in ensuring food security and economic resilience. He stated that seed diversity functions as an insurance mechanism during periods of disruption caused by climate events, geopolitical conflicts, and supply chain shocks.

Rana highlighted India’s extensive agrobiodiversity as one of the country’s strongest strategic advantages. He said India possesses thousands of indigenous crop varieties, region-specific seed systems, and a strong scientific ecosystem that provide resilience unavailable in many other nations. He emphasized that preserving and strengthening this diversity through innovation, crop breeding, and science-driven agriculture must remain a national priority.

FSII noted that India is among the world’s richest agrobiodiversity regions, possessing thousands of traditional rice landraces along with diverse millet varieties, pulses, oilseeds, and regionally adapted crops that have evolved over generations to withstand varying climatic and ecological conditions.

The Federation further highlighted the growing role of modern breeding technologies, biotechnology, and genome editing in strengthening agricultural resilience. According to Rana, recent scientific advancements in climate-resilient, drought-tolerant, flood-tolerant, heat-resistant, and nutrient-efficient crop varieties are helping farmers cope with changing climatic conditions while improving productivity and resource-use efficiency.

He stated that nearly 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties were developed under national breeding programmes between 2014 and 2025. These varieties include drought-tolerant, flood-tolerant, heat-resistant, and nutrient-efficient crops designed to improve agricultural productivity under stress conditions.

Dr Paresh Verma, Director General of FSII, said the future of agricultural resilience will depend on effectively combining traditional biodiversity with modern scientific innovation. He stated that biotechnology, precision breeding, and genome editing are enabling the development of crop varieties that are more resilient to heat, drought, pests, and changing climatic conditions without affecting productivity.

Verma also emphasized that India’s expanding seed ecosystem has the potential to transform the country’s agrobiodiversity into a major strategic and economic advantage. FSII stated that India currently has more than 30,000 registered seed varieties and an estimated domestic seed market valued at nearly Rs 30,000 crore.

The Federation asserted that with supportive policy reforms, stronger research and development incentives, and regulatory ease, India could increase its share in global seed exports from nearly one percent at present to ten percent by 2035, positioning the country as a major global seed hub.

FSII concluded that agricultural biodiversity must be viewed not only from a conservation perspective but also as a strategic pillar of economic stability, farmer welfare, and national food resilience. The Federation called for continued support for seed research, crop improvement, conservation of indigenous germplasm, and policy frameworks that encourage innovation-led and science-based agricultural development.