In high altitudes of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, about 45 traditional cultivars of 15 different crops of millets, pulses, beans, barley, pea, buckwheat, horse gram, maize, wheat, potato and soybean are better adapted to the local agro-climatic conditions in comparison to the HYVs. Abundance, sown area, cultivation history, yield, bio-physical characteristics, economics and agronomic practices were studied in 2007-10 followed by the characteristics of each cultivar such as size/color/taste of the seed/fruit/tuber, nutrition value, and resistance to pests/insects/pathogens/water stress. Participatory research with farmers revealed that agricultural biodiversity can longer be protected because of fast invasion of monoculture-based farming systems in mountains, which is indirectly linked with growing unsustainable consumerism. Analysis in context of consumer-commodity relationships indicated that the consumer preference of lucrative foods has led to absence of market for food grains, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables of traditional cultivars in most of low-altitude mountain areas. As a result the monoculture with chemical farming has succeeded and the farm diversity declined. Changing pattern in consumerism is believed to have affected negatively the farmers’ behaviour of growing the traditional cultivars of genetically-superior food crops. Can the green consumerism reverse the trend of erosion of agrobiodiversity, and provide the farmers with incentives of continuing to grow multiple crops with traditional varieties? Literature on green consumerism shows that there is a potential demand for products of traditional cultivars in new emergent economies including India, though the current food market is not responding to fully meet the needs and preferences of eco-friendly consumers. Product labeling, certification and quality control are some issues that diffuse the responsible consumers, thus causing setback to very market for products of traditional cultivars. This paper so recommends that by developing compulsory or voluntary labeling and certification to enhance information for potential green consumers about the products of traditional cultivars and by setting low-cost marketing channels to transfer premium price back to farmers could help farmers to sustain the adoption of traditional cultivars as against modern varieties. It would help conserve in situ the agrobiodiversity in Himalayan mountains, and to maintain resilience of agro-ecosystems for mitigation of the effects of climate change.

1. When any species or
cultivar is lost the
centuries old
traditional knowledge
about the same also
disappear. It
disbalances the
mountain agro-
ecosystem, farm
sustainability and
food security.

2. International Seminar on Emerging Consumerism in
Context of Climate Change: Issues and Challenges
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India, 3-5 October, 2012
Linkages of Green Consumerism
with Agrobiodiversity Conservation
in Himalayan Mountains
By:
Hasrat Arjjumend Banjar – 175123 District Kullu
Senior Fellow Himachal Pradesh (India)
Tel: 01903-200202, 200201,
09418133427, 09910188948
Chuni Lal Fax: +91-01903-222257
Head of Operations E-mail: info@grassrootsinstitute.in
Website: www.grassrootsinstitute.in

3. INDIA | WESTERN HIMALAYAS
HIMACHAL PRADESH
KULLU DISTRICT
TIRTHAN VALLEY (GHNP)
NOHANDA & TUNG GRAM PANCHAYATS
20 VILLAGES (10 EACH)

4. Nohanda:
42 cultivars
Tung:
19 cultivars
AGROBIODIVERSITY
• 15 different crops
• 45 traditional local
cultivars

6. GHNP’s Traditional Crops and Its Cultivars
Millets: French White (Panicum milliaceum), Ragi or Red Millet:
Echinochloa utilis), Red Jhalli (Oplismenus frumentaceus), Finger Millet
(Eleusine coracana), Finger White (Echinochloa utilis)
Pulses: Mash of Black Gram (Phaseolus mungo), Totru, Maser (Lens
culinaris), Chana (Cicer aietenum), Kohl
Beans: Chittera (urad) (Phaseolus vulgaris), White Chittera (safed
urad), Red Chittera (laal urad), Kidney Bean (rajma), White Bean (safed
rajma), Kohal, *UI
Barley (Hordeum vulgare): Gundev, Shalai, Naked Barley (Hordeum
himalayens), *UI
Pea (Pisum sativum): Farsi, Lincon, Aurcul, *UI
Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum): Kathu
Maize (Zea mays): Shatu, Chuhedani, Duani
Wheat (Triticum aestivum): Siraji, Kinouri, *UI
Potato (Solanum tuberosum): Dhankhri, Chandermukhi, Uptodate
Kulth or Horse Gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum): Kulth
Soybean (Glycine max)
* UI = Unidentified Local

9. Erosion & Survival of Agrobiodiversity
• Monoculture spreading in market-connected villages
• High yielding hybrids taking over the traditional cultivars
• Cultivation of millets, barley, buckwheat and horse gram
declined
• Yet, certain traditional cultivars of bean, maize, pulses,
potato are surviving the onslaught of modern agriculture
• Traditional cultivars have superior traits vis-a-via HYVs:
in terms of yield, survival in harsh geo-climatic conditions
at high altitudes, resistance to water stress/pathogens,
total time of crop cycle, adaptation to local climates &
farmers’ socio-economic situations, nutrition value, input-
requirements, weed coexistence, etc.

10. Erosion & Survival of Agrobiodiversity
 Nohanda G.P. (42 cultivars) survives against Tung
G.P. (19 cultivars)
 25% more farmers cultivate millets in Nohanda
G.P. than Tung G.P.
 HYVs of Garlic (Agrobound Parvati), Potato (Kufri
Jyoti), Wheat (PBW343, HPW89, HPW42, Raj78) took
over in Tung G.P.
 Dhankhri cultivar of potato is surviving as against
Kufri Jyoti in Nohanda G.P.
 Siraji cultivar of wheat is surviving as against
PBW343, HPW89, HPW42, Raj78 in Nohanda G.P.

11. Consumerism suppressing market
for traditional food crops
…Someone has to pay for our high-energy, lucrative or over-consumption

12.  Consumer preference
of high-energy foods
lead to absence of
market for traditional
cultivars based foods
© Anne Ward Tiki Penguin
Globalization-induced
changes in lifestyles
and attitudes have
altered people’s choice
of foods

13. Farmers continue growing
genetically-superior
traditional cultivars of crops
based on 3 factors:
a)economy associated with
the crop produce;
b)religious or cultural value of
the crop; and
c)self-consumption.
Economic factor overrides
all other socio-cultural or
biological factors

14. Space & price for
produce of traditional
crop or cultivar in local
market determines their
fate on-farm
Local markets are part
of aggregate supply
chain of commodities
Neglect of traditional crops
in local markets lead to
monoculture of few crops

15. QdN = f(T)

16. Consumers’ awareness about the
environmental externalities of
intensive crop, rise in the demand
for green products
There is potential demand for products
of traditional cultivars in new emergent
economies, though current food
market not responding to fully meet
the needs and preferences of eco-
friendly consumers
Still much to be learnt about consumer
preferences and values assigned to
traditional cultivars or landrace products
Green Consumerism = Agrobiodiversity Conservation

17. Green Consumerism
Biodiverse Foods
Food Security
Agrobiodiversity
Low External Inputs
Sustainable Farming Systems
Sustainable
Livelihoods of
Sustainable
Farmers
Agroecosystem
Climate

18. INFORMATION
about the
produce of
traditional
cultivars

19. Product labeling
Certification
Quality control

20. THANKS
To All Audience
for patience

21. Development Interventions of GRASSROOTS
on Agrobiodiversity Conservation
• Preservation and re-introduction of traditional cultivars in
situ coupled with improvement in agronomic methods of
farmers for enhancing the yield;
• Linking the organic produce of the traditional crops with
innovative post-harvest techniques and better market
opportunities.

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