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About Vanastree
A few small seeds have the power within them to feed a family; a fistful of seeds, the whole community. Our future depends on saving the traditional diversity of seeds around us.
About Vanastree
Vanastree is a small collective dedicated to promoting forest garden biodiversity and food security through the conservation of traditional seeds.
Our main objectives:
- promote cultivated and wild biodiversity in farms and forest home gardens
- encourage seed saving and conservation of traditional crop varieties
- provide networking and extension services
Beginnings
The Malnad Forest Garden and Seed Keepers’ collective was born in 2001 as a network of seed exchange groups focused on celebrating and endorsing biodiversity. From 2003, the collective began promoting sustainable livelihoods through conservation-oriented enterprises. The seed collective officially registered as a trust in 2008.
Location
Vanastree’s office is located in Sirsi town, but the collective has members scattered across the Malenadu (hilly region of the Western Ghats) as well as in the narrow coastal belt and in the eastern fringes of the Ghats.
What is a forest home garden?
Forest home gardens vary in size and structure; from a tiny patch of vegetables outside a house to an acre or more of mixed crops. In any form, they share in common a great diversity of plants in addition to domesticated and wild tree species as space allows. The vegetables grown include varieties of amaranth, spinach, cucumbers, gourds and pumpkins, lady’s finger, brinjal, tubers, beans, chillies and others.
Our philosophy
Vanastree’s objectives arose out of concerns for the economic stability of the region and the danger of losing its small-scale, traditional food production system to the forces of globalization. We recognize the importance of forest home gardens as refuges of biodiversity, providers of nutritional food, extra sources of income, and educational tools.
Vanastree, which translates as “Women of the Forest” in Kannada, also emphasizes the traditional role of women in conservation. We believe that any biodiversity conservation plan aimed at arresting genetic erosion must recognize the role of women as gardeners, seed savers, and sources of knowledge.
Accomplishments
Vanastree's efforts have been chiefly focused on seed groups
and documentation, but have also provided services like training, networking
and helping to establish conservation-oriented enterprises.
Work completed thus far:
- 120 vegetable and 60 flower varieties documented
- 3000 packets of organic, open-pollinated seeds distributed
- 10 biodiversity melas/festivals and exhibitions held
- Over 500 home gardeners reached through seed exchange groups, comprising women from various communities, religions and economic classes
Other activities:
- Forming a decentralized regional seed bank and one in Sirsi town
- Building an internship program
- Supporting collective members in creating a variety of home-based conservation enterprises. These include production of value-added foods based on local cuisine, sales of crafts and other items, camps and eco-homestays.
Needs
- Organic and open-pollinated seeds
- Volunteers and interns
- Our own space for an office, nursery, garden and extension outlet
Future plans
We believe strongly in sustaining the philosophy behind our efforts, and the following goals will allow us to remain true to our ideals while enabling the collective to grow and further its mission.- Create a handbook, published in English and Kannada, containing all the documentation data we have collected over the past few years
- Continue networking with local government agencies, NGOs and individual communities
- Hold workshops and trainings in seed saving and preservation, value addition, and allied activities
- Expand network of seed groups and promote decentralized seed banking
- Continue hosting melas, expanding their community education potential
