• Naturophilia India

Across India, traditional rice varieties bred by generations of farmers are proving more nutritious and more resilient to extreme weather than the high-yield commercial seeds that were meant to replace them. In this Learning Lab session, Dr. Debarati Chakraborty, soil scientist and founder of Naturophilia India, traces the living connection between seeds, soil, and culture, revealing what gets lost when that thread is broken.

Dr. Chakraborty walks through the science of what she calls "seed memory," showing how land races (locally adapted crop varieties passed down through generations) carry not only genetic diversity but cultural knowledge: the aromatic rice essential to a specific Bengali winter ritual, the particular chili pepper prized across a region, the seasonal greens gathered before the shift to cold weather. These are not relics. Research shows that many traditional varieties contain higher concentrations of essential micronutrients than their modern counterparts, which were bred primarily for yield, often at the cost of flavor, nutrition, and the soil itself.

The session moves from seed to soil, exploring how industrial farming practices have degraded the living systems beneath our feet and how tools like biochar, composting, and agroecological methods can begin to restore them. Dr. Chakraborty introduces India's "seed heroes," farmers conserving hundreds of varieties on their own land, and makes the case for community seed banks as critical infrastructure for food sovereignty.

Her parting challenge to the audience is disarmingly simple: learn the seeds of your own region. Find out what grew there 30 years ago. Connect with a local farmer. It starts with knowing what has been lost and choosing to keep what remains alive.