Vijay Jardhari is a small farmer, prominent environmental activist, and a prolific writer, focusing on sustainable agriculture by conserving traditional knowledge and preserving seed biodiversity, along with the conservation of local forests. Born in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India, in 1957, Mr. Jardhari has devoted his life to safeguarding the rich biodiversity of the Himalayan region.
He has played a key role in movements like Chipko Andolan, anti-dam and anti-limestone mining agitations in Uttarakhand. He joined the Chipko Andolan as one of the lead mobilizers in few districts of Uttarakhand.
A pioneer of the people’s movement starting from his village in 1986 – Beej Bachao Andolan, Mr. Vijay Jardhari is a true crusader of the seed conservation movement in the hills.
Beej Bachao Andolan is a non- formal collective of farmers and activists seeking to conserve and preserve local and traditional seeds, crops and traditional agricultural knowledge and practices. It started the movement of conserving local and traditional seeds long before its value was recognized.
Mr. Jardhari is well known for his instrumental role in reviving the ‘Barahnaja’ (12 grains farming), a traditional mixed cropping system which had been severely marginalized and lost in the onslaught of modern agricultural methods. Barahnaja method of diversification ensures security against natural disasters and crop failure. The use of traditional farming methods and seeds has resulted in higher yields, improved health, increased conservation of soil fertility and biodiversity.
What began as a growing concern for the gradual disappearance of traditional seeds due to modern methods of agriculture led to a concentrated effort to preserve native seeds and educate farmers about the need for seed bio-diversity conservation. Thanks to him, Uttarakhand now has a Gene Bank of over 325 seeds, which is operated by exchanging seeds with farmers each year before sowing. This collection has access to hundreds of varieties of grains, millets, pulses, lentils, oilseeds, spices and so on.
He is the recipient of the 2009 Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar among several others.