Inception of agriculture has witnessed the pivotal role of women in perceiving how seeds sprouted and grew into plants. Since the birth of farming, women have been the backbone of the agricultural work force. Today, they represent 43% of the global agricultural labour force. There has been 24% increase in the number of female agricultural labourers1 , from 49.5 million in 2001 to 61.6 million in 2011. (Correspondence)

Original Source

For millennia, seeds have been freely available to use for farming and plant breeding without restriction. Within the past century, however, intellectual property rights (IPRs) have threatened this tradition. In response, a movement has emerged to counter the trend toward increasing consolidation of control and ownership of plant germplasm.

The traditional pickles of indigenous fruits and vegetables, viz., galgal, lingri, aaroo, plum, lasura, dehu, kachnar and beedana are popular in rural and urban areas of Himachal Pradesh since the very early times. These are used as appetizers and served practically with every meal. The traditional pickles of Himachal Pradesh are unique in the raw material, method of preparation and taste from the pickles in other parts of country. In the present study, the methods of preparation of traditional pickles as practiced by the rural folk have been documented.

Contemporary debates on Indian agriculture need to shift from the traditional focus on physical productivity targets towards smart policies, strengthened and relevant institutions, and an enabling environment, all of which are needed to foster a more profitable, sustainable and resilient agricultural sector capable of ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity.