Seed Community
Balu Ghode Balu Ghode from Bari Village, Akole is a conservator and producer of millet diversity. He has established a community seed bank with support from the ASK Foundation & Bioversity International. He has extensive knowledge of wild edible plants and indigenous crops of the Kalsubai region. He is a resource person for raising awareness about traditional food systems, millet seed production, and value addition.
Bhika Munga Bhramhane Bhika Munga Bhramhane, 36, is a dedicated biodiversity conservationist from the Bhil community in Chinchora, Nandurbar. Since 2015, he has actively conserved local crops such as sorghum, millets, and leguminous crops, focusing on promoting agro-biodiversity at the village level. He cultivates 4-5 local landraces of sorghum and minor millets. Motivated by a 2013 discussion and exhibition on seed conservation by BAIF, he has also conserved various forest trees like teak, mango, and bamboo. As a CRP (Community Resource Person) with BAIF, Bhika has worked in 10 villages and currently leads seed conservation efforts in 4 villages in the Toranmal area.
Dattaram Chogle Since 1974, Dattaram Chogle has been practicing organic farming in Muradpur village, Devarukh. A pioneer in experimental farming, he works throughout the year. Despite limited formal education, his vast knowledge of agriculture has made him a well-known figure in the region. Dattaram grows rice, a staple in Konkan, using organic methods and sells his produce. He has preserved various traditional local rice varieties, such as Sonphal, Khamdi, and Wada Kolam. He also promotes new rice varieties and, with the help of Srushtidnyan Sanstha, has successfully revived and cultivated Kalbhaat (Chakhaw) and Mahadi (Red Rice). Additionally, he produces millets like Nachni (Ragi) and Vari (Samak). In 2024, he revived the endangered Harik (Kodi) millet, achieving record production. His farm also grows other region-specific crops like yam, air potato, amaranth, drumsticks, and kulith. Dattaram’s commitment to sustainable farming is truly inspiring.
Mamta Bhangre Mamta Bhangre from Devgaon village, Akole, considers herself a woman farmer and is modesty personified. This unassuming kitchen garden guide has conserved 69 landraces of paddy, beans, and local vegetables and has won acclaim for her conservation and cultivation techniques of wild vegetables, relying on organic farming and innovative vermi briquettes. Mamta has developed a nutrition garden with fruits, vegetables, and wild edible plants (45 species) and is rich in the knowledge of indigenous nutritious food recipes of crops and wild edible plants. She has participated and presented at various national-level conferences, including IIM Ahmedabad and PPV & FRA, New Delhi. She received the National Plant Genome Farmer recognition in 2019 from PPV & FRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. She has also conserved and revived the rich diversity of Hyacinth Beans (16 types).
Mavanji Pawar & Kamal Pawar Mavanji comes from a remote tribal block of Maharashtra (Jawhar, Palghar District). A school dropout, he has been working as a Field Programme Officer at BAIF, Jawhar, for 10 years. He is an expert in seed selection/varietal improvement of rice, millets, and pulses. In 2010, he developed a rice variety and registered it in August 2023, naming it after his wife, 'KAMAL.' Mavanji has received the Plant Genome Saviour Farmer recognition from PPV & FRA, Government of India.
Milind Patil Milind Patil, the founder of the Western Ghats Nursery, is propagating endemic and endangered plant species to restore native biodiversity. His efforts include transforming 16 acres in Sindhudurg into a forest restoration site, supported by the Nature Conservation Foundation.
Pooja Pawar Pooja is an ecologist and forestry graduate. She is pursuing a PhD at the Nature Conservation Foundation. Her research focuses on understanding the ecology of hornbills. Her studies investigate how hornbills adapt to human-modified habitats compared to pristine forests. Hornbills are flagship seed dispersers in tropical forests and are known as the farmers of forests. The scientific information on their habits and habitats helps inform conservation strategies. For example, seeds of native food plants are collected and used for ecological restoration of degraded habitats.
Prateik More Prateik More, a naturalist from Sahyadri Sankalp Society, has established a hornbill food plant nursery, sourcing seeds from under hornbill nesting sites and consciously collecting them from the forest. His work in Ratnagiri has become a beacon for restoration, with plants from his nursery being planted in degraded areas, such as the restoration site on artist Abhijit Patil's farm.
Rahibai Soma Popere Rahibai Soma Popere, popularly known as the "Seed Mother," has been honored with the Padma Shri for her significant contributions to agriculture. A tribal farmer from the Mahadeo Koli community in Maharashtra's Akole district, Rahibai is dedicated to conserving indigenous seeds and promoting traditional farming practices. Despite limited formal education, she has become a leading advocate for agro-biodiversity, organic farming, and the preservation of wild food resources. Rahibai established a community seed bank and a nursery for various crops, distributing them to local farmers. She has conserved 122 landraces of 32 crops and trained over 3,500 farmers in sustainable farming techniques. As an active member of BAIF Development Research Foundation, Rahibai continues to inspire and lead rural communities toward achieving seed sovereignty and nutritional security.
Sangeeta Jitendra Kharat Sangeeta Jitendra Kharat, apostgraduate in sociology and human resource management, has been the co-director of Srishtijnyan Environmental Education and Research Institute for 20 years and serves as the convener for the Future Earth Asia Network. She is an expert in Indian traditional food culture, focusing on the use of ancient grains, wild vegetables, and medicinal plants in daily life, and has worked as a capacity-building trainer for various groups on eco-friendly diets and health for over a decade.
Sanjay Patil Chief Programme Executive (Agro Biodiversity) at BAIF, Sanjay Patil is a Chemical Technologist from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai. He has been associated with BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune, for the last 18 years. He has undertaken focused efforts for the conservation and management of indigenous crops, wild edible plants, and tree species in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha for nutritional security and livelihood in the context of climate change. His work includes documentation, field and laboratory research, establishing community seed banks, community-level seed production, registration of farmer varieties, and identifying candidate species of indigenous trees. He is also associated with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR-NBPGR), National Gene Bank, and the Government of India as a member of the Research Advisory Committee.
Suhas Kadu Suhas Kadu is an accomplished professional with a background in Information Technology, having worked with major companies like Capgemini and IBM. He is currently employed at Fujitsu as a Software/SAP consultant. He has been associated with the work of the Devrai Foundation Pune for many years, where he is also deeply involved in environmental conservation work, particularly with native seeds and plants. He annually collects over 150 varieties of seeds, which he distributes to individuals, groups, NGOs, and the Forest Department for sapling production. Suhas has established a native tree nursery, a wild tree seed bank, and distributes saplings for restoration work. He is currently focused on creating bird-friendly eco-ponds and working on grass species cultivation.
Artists
Aabha Soumitra Aabha Soumitra is a composer, vocalist, and conductor from Pune, India, working across film, theater, and choir music. Trained in Hindustani classical voice technique, she blends folk, World music, and cinematic styles. Aabha founded “Ensemble Sahanad” in 2021, Pune’s first experimental choir, and co-founded “Composing in Dialogue” and “Peace Projects.” Her music is known for its emotional depth, technical skill, and its evocative texture.
Abhijit Patil Curator
Abhijit Patil is an artist, farmer who lives in Muradpur, Ratnagiri, India. His work revolves around food, diversity, labour and their intersection with climate crisis. He is a practising natural farming in the Western Ghats trying to learn, conserve and document resilient cultivation methods and wild ecosystems in the region. As a photojournalist he has worked with the likes of India Today, Times of India Group, Sakal Group. He is the founder of Sadakchhap art intervention and the curator of Seed Stories initiative.
Debangshu Moulik Debangshu Moulik is a Pune-based artist known for his bold lines, vibrant colours, and figurative forms. His work bridges contemporary and traditional influences, drawing inspiration from comic books, animation, and Indian art history. Reminiscent of ancient Indian art forms like Kalighat paintings and Mahabalipuram sculptures, Debangshu’s use of lines and mark-making evokes both spontaneity and cultural depth. A BFA graduate from Abhinav Kala Vidyalaya, Pune University, he has collaborated with prominent clients such as Google, Meta, Snapchat, Samsung, Adidas, and Levi’s and has exhibited extensively across India. His artworks are part of private collections in the USA, UK, UAE, and India. Debangshu’s art invites viewers to explore the intersection of tradition and modernity, offering a fresh perspective on colour, form, and storytelling.
Jayraj Patil Jayraj Patil is a designer, visual artist, and architect whose work moves fluidly between disciplines. With a background in filmmaking, animation, and documentary-making, he later delved into woodworking during the pandemic, eventually co-founding a material research & design project. His creative practice thrives on bringing together seemingly disparate worlds, exploring the tension between the natural and the constructed, the organic and the industrial. A keen observer of both nature and the quirks of human society, his work reflects a deep curiosity about materials, form, and the stories they tell.
Jignesh Mistry Jignesh Mistry is an independent photographer with over ten years of experience as a photojournalist. His work has appeared in several national and international journals, newspapers, and wire services. Jignesh is passionate about capturing the truth of a scenario and presenting it authentically, without manipulation or sensationalism. His art focuses on documenting situations that may desire to express a sense of optimism, resilience, and the possibility of positive change.
Ketaki Nirmala As an artist and permaculturist, Ketaki Nirmala finds inspiration in the beauty of the natural world. Her artistic expression merges her love for nature and conscious living, aiming to illustrate the interconnectedness of all life. She is cultivating a deeper, ongoing relationship with nature and its rhythms, which now inspire and guide her creative process. Using natural motifs in her art, she likes to explore themes of life, growth, and transformation, inviting viewers to reflect on their own connection to nature and the life forms that they coexist with.
Kokila Bhattacharya Kokila B is a multidisciplinary artist and visual designer from Bhopal, currently based in Pune. With over nine years of work across artivism, visual media, entrepreneurship, and campaigns, their work spans human rights, gender and sexuality, child rights, mental health, environmental issues, and poetry and music. Beyond documentation, they explore how art can disrupt, question, provoke, and reimagine—offering new ways of seeing and being in the world. When not creating, they are a dedicated slumber enthusiast.
Philipp Geist Philipp Geist (*1976 in Witten a. d. Ruhr) is an internationally renowned artist in the fields of projection mapping, light installations, video art, photography, painting, and fine art prints. As one of the pioneers of video mapping, he has significantly influenced the artistic use of architectural projections. His works combine space, light, sound, and moving images, transforming urban architecture into abstract, painterly light sculptures. Geist merges analog painting with generative digital elements, creating immersive, site-specific installations.
Rajita Schade Rajita Schade is a Pune based artist whose work is deeply rooted in ecological consciousness, exploring the dynamic interplay between natural and organic forms. Her practice addresses urgent themes such as extraction, deforestation, extinction, environmental justice, and ecological degradation. Through her paintings, she creates immersive visual experiences that reflect both the vulnerability and resilience of nature, fostering a dialogue on the intricate relationship between the environment and human intervention.
Rajyashri Goody Rajyashri Goody (1990) b. Pune, India, has a B.A in Sociology from Fergusson College Pune, and an M.A in Visual Anthropology from the University of Manchester, UK. She was a resident at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam in 2021-2023. Goody’s practice explores lived experiences of hunger, hesitation, fear, feasting, joy, and courage. She draws upon literature, poetry, landscape and personal images to build space for what Dalit people choose to record, for contemplating food and caste, the stomach and oppression.
Rupali Patil Rupali Patil’s visual arts practice crossfades within print-making, drawing and installations. Her subjects mainly focus on social issues, especially- the subject of water and natural mineral crises. In some of her work, which relates to Term “Ecofeminism” she also depicts destitute farmers from areas that became industrialized. Workers who became visual metaphors in her drawings inhabit an imaginary, geographically unspecified world of Patil. She also uses cartography and heterotopic landscapes, architecture in her drawing, which looks dangerously complete devoid of human existence. Her works were presented at the Biennale’s such as 3rd Industrial art biennial, Croatia, 2020, Ride into the sun. Habit cohabit (Pune Biennale2017) Salt water theory of thought-form (14th Istanbul Biennale 2015).
Sachin Mali Sachin Mali is a poet, shahiri performer, writer, and cultural activist dedicated to the dream of a caste-free society. For over 23 years, he has been actively involved in the cultural movement, using art to advocate for freedom, equality, and fraternity as fundamental values of Indian democracy. He is a key artist of the Navyan Mahajalsa shahiri troupe. His literary works include poetry collections such as Gulam Nahi Yoddhe Paida Hotayat (2006) and Sadhya Patta Bhumigat (2015), as well as ideological books like Jatiantak Sanskrutik Kranti che Atmabhan (2013).
Sayli Kulkarni Sayli Kulkarni is a Pune-based contemporary dance artist, educator, choreographer, and performer. As a movement artist and researcher, she explores the role and relevance of dance in society, blending movement with socio-political discourse and intense physicality. Her work emerges from a strong feminist perspective, addressing themes of gender, identity, and empowerment through powerful and thought-provoking choreography while critically examining society through her unique lens.
Seetai Creations For over a decade, Seetai Creations has been weaving magic through theatre, film, and digital storytelling, blending art with purpose. Based in Mumbai, we specialize in documentaries, corporate films, ad films, short films, and immersive experiences that leave an indelible impact.
Sheena Maria Piedade Sheena Maria Piedade is an artist, independent curator, and art psychotherapist. She is interested in the ways art and nature put us in the present, while technology seeks to disembody us. In her artistic and pedagogical work, she creates interventions at the intersections of DIY culture and publishing, ecology and sociocultural phenomena. Her focus as a multidisciplinary practitioner is on making community care accessible through engagement with nature and permaculture, contemplative practices, play and embodiment. She is deeply invested in research on reclaiming our time, attention and bodies from capitalist forces. She has spent the last six years working with visual and oral archives, alternating and weaving the personal with the political.
Shital Sathe Shital Sathe has been contributing to an anti-caste cultural movement in India for two decades through music, particularly the ‘shahiri’ art tradition associated with the western region of India. She has been a leading figure in presenting a philosophical and political thought through new artistic innovations, which have reached a global anti-caste community. Drawing inspiration from the life and works of historical as well as modern philosophers like Buddha, Mahatma Jotirao Phule, Savitri Phule, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Annabhau Sathe among others, Shital Sathe has been dedicated to the cause of annihilating caste and creating social awareness or ‘prabodhan’ in India through her performance, composition and writings.
Shruthi Veena Vishwanath Shruthi Veena Vishwanath is a musician whose practice is rooted in community, feminism, and the decolonization of voice. Trained in classical music for two decades, she then spent another decade unschooling herself through mystic music traditions—abhang, nirguni, vachana, baul, sufi, and other forms—from across South Asia. Her work draws from the oral traditions of Bhakti and Sufi poetry, passed down over centuries, and explores ways to reimagine and reclaim voices marginalized by hegemonies and history. She has extensively researched and composed music based on the women Varkari poets of Maharashtra, as well as female poets from across South Asia. Shruthi has contextualized, curated, and performed music for diverse audiences, ranging from major festivals and world-renowned universities to grassroots communities worldwide. Through her community music initiative Music in the Machan, she reimagines music education and sharing as practices deeply rooted in healing, shared context, and honoring grassroots communities.
Shweta Bhattad Shweta Bhattad is a mother, farmer, visual artist and performer. Her works always speaks about, land, ecology, women body, conscious living, and collective working. She is also the founder member of Gram Art Project. Collective, comprises of artists, farmers, farm labours, women and youth. They practice agroecology on 16 acres of land while embedding socially engaged art in their daily rhythm and community life. This process of inquiry, inspiration, ideation, design, and implementation has enabled the Collective to create alternative knowledge, innovative practices, and cultures of farming and entrepreneurship.
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Vaishali Oak Vaishali Oak born in Pune 1970, [Maharashtra, India] is an established contemporary artist. Obtained Government Diploma of Art in Drawing and Painting, and Master’s degree in (Painting). She has been working with textiles as her primary medium of expression since 1997 and experimenting with other mediums as well. Her work is inspired by a simple village quilt called Godhadi in her native region. She received Junior fellowship by Government of India, Ministry of culture, in year 2000. One of her fabric assemblages ‘Flow of Death’ (After Godhra) received a National Academy Award in 2002 this art work was her reaction on Gujarat communal riots. She received Outstanding art Award at China Fiber art Biennial 2016.
Yana Wernicke Yana Wernicke (*1990) is a German artist based near Frankfurt. Her work explores the relationship between humans, animals, and nature through photography, often reflecting on interspecies connections, coexistence, and the emotional depth of these bonds. In collaboration with photographer Jonas Feige, she worked on Zenker, a project examining Germany’s colonial history in Cameroon, which was published as a book by Edition Patrick Frey in 2021. Her 2023 book Companions, published by Loose Joints, portrays two young women who share deep bonds with animals. It offers a poignant reflection on species loneliness, empathy, and the intricate ties between different forms of life.