Rahibai Soma Popere
Rahibai Soma Popere | |
|---|---|
.jpg) in 2019 | |
| Born | 1964 (age 59–60) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Seed Mother |
| Education | None |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, agriculturist, conservationist |
| Known for | Conservation of indigenous plant varieties |
| Awards |
|
Rahibai Soma Popere (pronounced [raːhiːbaːiː somaː popɛrɛ]), born in 1964, is an Indian farmer and conservationist. She helps other farmers return to native varieties of crops, preparing hyacinth beans for self-help groups. She is among three Indians on the BBC list of "100 Women 2018". Scientist Raghunath Mashelkar gave her the epithet "Seed Mother".[1]
Early life
Popere is from Kombhalne village located in Akole block of Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra.[1] She has no formal education and is illiterate.[2] She has worked on farms all her life and has an extraordinary understanding of crop diversity.[2]
Career
Popere focuses on women-led agro-biodiversity.[2] She has conserved almost fifty acres of ingenious[clarification needed] farmland, where she grows 17 different crops.[3] She was visited by the BAIF Development Research Foundation in 2017, who found the gardens she supported had enough produce to meet the dietary requirements of a family for a whole year.[3]
She developed a series of hyacinth beans for self-help groups and families in nearby villages.[3] She was described by Raghunath Mashelkar, the erstwhile Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research as 'Seed Mother'. She is an active member of the self-help group Kalsubai Parisar Biyanee Savardhan Samiti[4] (translation: Committee for seed conservation in the Kalsubai region). She has created her own methods to harvest water on farms; turning wasteland into space she can use productively. She trains farmers and students on ways to select seeds, keep fertile soils and manage pests.[5] She is skilled in four-step paddy cultivation.[6] She has learned to rear poultry in her yard with the support of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (MITTRA).[7]
Awards
- BBC 100 Women 2018[8]
- The Best Seed Saver award[2]
- BAIF Development Research Foundation Best Farmer Award[2]
- Nari Shakti Puraskar, 2018, instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.[9]
- Padma Shri, 2020[10]
Additionally, in January 2015, she received appreciation from Prem Mathur, Honorary Research Fellow at Bioversity International and from R. R. Hanchinal, Chairperson of a government body for the protection of plant varieties and farmers' rights in India.[2]
References
- ^ a b Deo, Ashlesha (8 September 2017). "Maharashtra seed mother pioneers conservation of native varieties". Village Square. Akole, Maharashtra. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Srimati Rahibai Soma Popere". Pune International Centre. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Maharashtra's tribal farmers revive traditional crops". Village Square. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "Maharashtra Gene Bank Programme for Conservation" (PDF). BAIF Maharashtra Gene Bank Newsletter. July 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ ScoopWhoop (20 November 2018). "Meet The 3 Indian Women Who've Made It To BBC's List of Most Influential & Inspiring Women of 2018". ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "'Seed Mother' Rahibai's Story: How She Saved Over 80 Varieties of Native Seeds!". The Better India. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ Sharma, Khushboo (21 November 2018). "Rahibai Makes It To BBC's 100 Women 2018 List By Becoming The 'Seed Mother' Of India". Indian Women Blog – Stories of Indian Women. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "President confers Nari Shakti awards on 44 women". The Tribune. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Full list of 2020 Padma awardees". The Hindu. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.