Rahibai Soma Popere
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in 2019
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| Born | 1964 (age 59–60) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Seed Mother |
| Education | None |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, agriculturist, conservationist |
| Known for | Conservation of indigenous plant varieties |
| Awards |
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Rahibai Soma Popere (pronounced [raːhiːbaːiː somaː popɛrɛ]), born in 1964, is an Indian farmer and conservationist. She helps other farmers return to native varieties of crops, preparing hyacinth beans for self-help groups. She is among three Indians on the BBC list of "100 Women 2018". Scientist Raghunath Mashelkar gave her the epithet "Seed Mother".[1]
Popere is from Kombhalne village located in Akole block of Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra.[1] She has no formal education.[2] She has worked on farms all her life and has an extraordinary understanding of crop diversity.[2] she belong to Mahadev Koli community of Maharashtra.[3]
Rahibai Soma Popere farm land, where she grows 17 different crops.[4] She was visited by the BAIF Development Research Foundation in 2017, who found the gardens she supported had enough produce to meet the dietary requirements of a family for a whole year.[4]
She developed a series of hyacinth beans for self-help groups and families in nearby villages.[4] She was described by Raghunath Mashelkar, the erstwhile Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research as 'Seed Mother'. She is an active member of the self-help group Kalsubai parisar Biyanse Sarvdhan centre[5] (translation: Committee for seed conservation in the Kalsubai region). She has created her own methods to harvest water on farms; turning wasteland into space she can use productively. She trains farmers and students on ways to select seeds, keep fertile soils and manage pests.[6] She is skilled in four-step paddy cultivation.[7] She has learned to rear poultry in her yard with the support of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (MITTRA).[8]
Ram Nath Kovind presenting Padma ShritoRahibai Popere Additionally, in January 2015, she received appreciation from Prem Mathur, Honorary Research Fellow at Bioversity International and from R. R. Hanchinal, chairperson of a government body for the protection of plant varieties and farmers' rights in India.[2]
