India, Oct. 16 -- Traditional seed banks do more than provide insurance against doomsday scenarios. They preserve the genetic diversity of resilient, locally adapted crops. Alongside, they embody the inherited knowledge, innovation and pragmatism that communities have developed over generations.

Unlike modern seed distribution, which follows a linear, one-way path, traditional seed preservation relies on interconnected networks through which seeds and knowledge pass between generations and communities. These networks support not only food security but also cultural continuity and social cohesion.

Such ingenious practices can be seen in Sikkim and adjoining regions, where communities use materials and spaces readily available at home to ...