HOOGA, which stands for Helping Of Oppressed Generation Of Agriculturists, was born out of a deep concern for the rapid loss of traditional seed diversity.
Over time, we observed a significant shift — while India once had multiple varieties of vegetables like ladies finger (okra), today only a few hybrid varieties dominate the market. This raised critical questions about what happened to our native seeds and why they disappeared from our farms and kitchens.
With years of experience in agriculture and exposure to the impacts of climate change, we began exploring key issues:
- Why are native seeds no longer preserved by farmers?
- Why did traditional seed-saving practices disappear from households?
- Why has food diversity reduced despite rich agrobiodiversity?
- What impact did modern agricultural practices have on seed systems?
- Why is there a growing need for non-GMO seeds?
- How can we revive seed-saving culture among farmers and gardeners?
These questions became the foundation of HOOGA.
