Preventing Catastrophic Crop Losses for Indian Farmers with Climate-Resilient Seeds

Climate change has made weather patterns increasingly unpredictable, with more frequent droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks. Smallholder farmers in India (who typically farm only a few acres) are especially vulnerable to these shocks. Currently, many harvest only 30–50% of their potential yield due to stressors like erratic rainfall and crop disease. A single bad season can devastate their income and even lead to food insecurity.
Stress-tolerant seeds (STS) – crop varieties bred to withstand drought, heat, or disease – offer a way to protect yields against climate volatility. However, adoption of these seeds is very low. Most farmers continue using traditional seed varieties, often because they lack information about STS or can’t easily obtain them. Additionally, seed suppliers (local agro-dealers) have little incentive to promote these newer seeds, as it involves convincing farmers to try something new and potentially risk their limited funds. The result is a slow spread of climate-resilient seeds even though they could significantly reduce crop losses.

Innovative Distribution Model: This project is jump-starting the adoption of stress-tolerant seeds by changing how they reach farmers. Instead of relying on government extension workers (who are few and may not reach remote villages), the program uses market-based channels and digital tools. Concretely, the intervention provides free trial packets of improved seed varieties to local agro-input suppliers, who in turn give these to farmers in their communities. By removing the initial cost and risk, farmers can test the seeds on a small portion of their land. The project focuses on seeds adapted for drought and wilt resistance in the chickpea crop, which is widely grown in Gujarat.
Digital Advisory Support: Along with the seeds, farmers receive simple digital advisories (for example, SMS tips or automated phone calls) on best practices for using the new seeds and managing crops under stressful conditions. This replaces expensive in-person demonstration plots with a low-cost, scalable way to educate farmers. By leveraging mobile phone networks, the program ensures even farmers in distant areas get the information needed to make the most of the new seeds.

Simplified Logistics: By working through existing local seed suppliers and using digital messaging, the program keeps costs and complexity low. This streamlined distribution means that even with minimal ongoing investment, the model can continue: suppliers benefit from farmers eventually purchasing more seeds (once they see results), and farmers benefit from better yields. The project avoids heavy expenditures on field staff or demonstration plots, making it feasible for a government or large NGO to replicate widely.
Our grant enables the expansion of this approach to reach about 200,000 chickpea farmers in Gujarat as an initial target. If a large fraction of these farmers see success with the seeds, it will create a demonstration effect, encouraging both other farmers to try and suppliers to stock these seeds as demand rises.

The model simplifies distribution, reducing logistical costs and in-person services while ensuring that farmers receive high-quality information.
The project design is informed by a prior randomized study (RCT) in India which found that giving out small packets of improved seeds significantly increased adoption – in fact, adoption of stress-tolerant varieties jumped by 56% among farmers who received free samples. That evidence underpins the decision to use free trial packets as a key strategy.
Over time, millions of small farmers across India could adopt stress-tolerant seeds, reducing crop losses and stabilizing their livelihoods despite climate challenges.

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