In 1997, this Odisha man left his job and built a seed bank that hands out traditional rice varieties to farmers; years later, Debal Deb’s effort is rescuing India’s rice diversity

Debal Deb established Vrihi in 1997 to conserve traditional rice varieties through seed exchange among farmers. The seed bank contains 1,480 rice landraces collected from various locations and contributed to national conservation efforts. By June 2026, over 8,000 farmers in 13 states received rice seeds through Vrihi’s programs. The organization also assists in establishing community seed banks across India.