Key Achievements

The programme has made many significant achievements in the area of on-farm and in-situ conservation of Plant Genetic Resources. The overall impact of these achievements reflected in securing food and nutrition security, and sustainable livelihoods for a large number of families from the most vulnerable communities in these three agro biodiversity hot-spots. Some of the major outcomes and the impacts of the programme work are:

1. The  Keystone Dialogue Series (or Madras Dialogue) that started in 1988 and ended in 1992 by drawing experts from the area of biodiversity and sustainable development. This think tank series resulted in developing many global initiatives towards conservation and sustainable utilization of Biodiversity;
2. Facilitation and preparation of initial Drafts of PPV& FRA and BD Acts of India, which resulted in establishment of the PPVFR-Authority and National Biodiversity Authority;
3. Establishment of Community Agrobiodiversity Centres in three critical agrobiodiversity hotspots and implementation through a 4 C integrated approach, which provides an effective operational mechanism to achieve the CBD objectives;
4. Conservation and Cultivation of diverse ‘high value Germplasm’  (many number of Neglected and Under Utilized Species like Millets, Roots and Tubers, and Banana; RET plant species; Lichens, Microbial diversity) through an integrated conservation approach;
5. Promotion of participatory plant breeding techniques in Rice in Jeypore tracts of Odisha with involvement of the “farmer breeders”;
6. Registration of Farmer’s Varieties in Rice with PPV&FRA and inclusion of Millets in National Food Security Act 2013;
7. Promotion of FAO’s-Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in India in Kuttanad Below Sea level Farming System and Koraput Tribal Agricultural System;
8. Documentation of people’s biodiversity knowledge in the form of Peoples’ Biodiversity Registers;
9. Legal & Genetic literacy campaign focusing Biodiversity Act, Farmers’ Rights and Forest dwellers’ Rights for local community leaders;
10. Promotion of biodiversity based livelihood enhancement;
11. The Every Child A Scientist Programme to inculcate scientific temper amongst school children