->Pachu Kannan at 13:50, 12 November 2021

2021-11-12T13:50:14Z

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'''{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rahibai Soma Popere
| image = Rahibai Soma Popere H2019030865839 (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = in 2019
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1964}}
| birth_place = [[Ahmednagar district]]
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Farmer, [[agriculturist]], [[Conservation movement|conservationist]]
| known for = Conservation of indigenous plant varieties
| other_names = Seed Mother
| education = None
| awards = {{unbulleted list
|[[BBC 100 Women]], 2018
|[[Nari Shakti Puraskar]], 2019
| [[Padma Shri]] (2020)}}
}}'''

'''Rahibai Soma Popere''' ({{IPA-mr|raːhiːbaːiː somaː popɛrɛ|pron|audio=}}), born in 1964, is an Indian farmer and [[Conservation movement|conservationist]]. She helps other farmers return to native varieties of crops, preparing [[hyacinth bean]]s for self-help groups. She is among three Indians on the [[BBC]] list of "[[100 Women (BBC)|100 Women 2018]]". Scientist [[Raghunath Mashelkar]] gave her the epithet "Seed Mother".<ref name="VillageSquare">{{cite web |last1=Deo |first1=Ashlesha |title=Maharashtra seed mother pioneers conservation of native varieties |url=https://www.villagesquare.in/2017/09/08/maharashtra-seed-mother-pioneers-conservation-native-varieties |website=Village Square |access-date=6 March 2019 |location=Akole, Maharashtra |date=8 September 2017}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Rahibai Soma Popere is from Kombhalne village located in [[Akole]] block of [[Ahmednagar district]] in the state of [[Maharashtra]].<ref name="VillageSquare" /> She has no formal education.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://puneinternationalcentre.org/innovators/srimati-rahibai-soma-popere/|title=Srimati Rahibai Soma Popere|work=Pune International Centre|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> She has worked on farms all her life and has an extraordinary understanding of crop diversity.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Rahibai Soma Popere farm land, where she grows 17 different crops.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.villagesquare.in/2017/08/25/maharashtras-tribal-farmers-revive-traditional-crops/|title=Maharashtra's tribal farmers revive traditional crops|date=25 August 2017|work=Village Square|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" />

She developed a series of [[Hyacinth (plant)|hyacinth]] beans for self-help groups and families in nearby villages.<ref name=":1" /> 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 Biyanee Savardhan Samiti<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baif.org.in/doc/research_on_going_research_projects/MGB-E-News-Letter-July-2016.pdf|title=Maharashtra Gene Bank Programme for Conservation|work=BAIF Maharashtra Gene Bank Newsletter|volume=2|date=July 2016|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> (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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/bbc-influential-women-2018-indians/?1#.xp8iwr8c3|title=Meet The 3 Indian Women Who’ve Made It To BBC's List of Most Influential & Inspiring Women of 2018|last=ScoopWhoop|date=20 November 2018|work=ScoopWhoop|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> She is skilled in four-step paddy cultivation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/114951/maharashtra-seed-mother-conservation-native-varieties/|title='Seed Mother' Rahibai's Story: How She Saved Over 80 Varieties of Native Seeds!|date=23 September 2017|work=The Better India|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> She has learned to rear poultry in her yard with the support of the [[Maharashtra Institute of Technology Transfer for Rural Areas]] (MITTRA).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.indianwomenblog.org/rahibai-makes-it-to-bbcs-100-women-2018-list-by-becoming-the-seed-mother-of-india/|title=Rahibai Makes It To BBC's 100 Women 2018 List By Becoming The 'Seed Mother' Of India|last=Sharma|first=Khushboo|date=21 November 2018|work=Indian Women Blog – Stories of Indian Women|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref>

=== Awards ===
[[file:Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskar for the year 2018 to Ms. Rahibai Soma Popere H2019030865839.jpg|thumb|[[Ram Nath Kovind]] presenting the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] to her in 2018]]
* [[BBC 100 Women]] 2018<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46225037|title=BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?|date=19 November 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref>
* The Best Seed Saver award<ref name=":0" />
* [[BAIF Development Research Foundation]] Best Farmer Award<ref name=":0" />
* [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]], 2018, instituted by the [[Ministry of Women and Child Development]], Government of India.<ref>{{cite news |title=President confers Nari Shakti awards on 44 women |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/president-confers-nari-shakti-awards-on-44-women/739961.html |access-date=12 March 2019 |work=The Tribune |date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
* [[Padma Shri]], 2020<ref>{{cite news|title=Full list of 2020 Padma awardees
|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/full-list-of-2020-padma-awardees/article30656841.ece
|date=26 January 2020|access-date=26 January 2020|website=The Hindu
}}</ref>
[[Ram Nath Kovind]] presenting [[Padma Shri]] to [[Rahibai 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.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Popere, Rahibi Soma}}
[[Category:Indian farmers]]
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:BBC 100 Women]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women farmers]]
[[Category:People from Ahmednagar district]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 winners]]
[[Category:Farmers' rights activists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in other fields]]

Rahibai Soma Popere - Revision history

->Pachu Kannan at 13:50, 12 November 2021