Recap 2025: The most important biodiversity developments of the year

The year 2025 marked a pivotal period for India's environmental and agricultural policy landscape, witnessing significant strides in biodiversity governance, agricultural commodity promotion, and seed sector regulation. These developments – new rules on benefit sharing, the establishment of a National Turmeric Board, and the Draft Seeds Bill – collectively underscore India's commitment to balancing economic growth with ecological sustainability and farmer welfare.

India, a mega-diverse country, is home to a vast array of flora and fauna, making the conservation and sustainable use of its biological resources paramount. The international framework for biodiversity conservation is largely guided by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted in 1992, and its Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), which came into force in 2014. These instruments emphasize sovereign rights over biological resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization. India translated these principles into domestic law with the enactment of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This Act established the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) to regulate access to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, ensuring that benefits derived are shared with local communities, who are often the custodians of this knowledge. The **new rules concerning benefit sharing introduced in 2025** are crucial updates to operationalize and strengthen these provisions, aiming to streamline the process of benefit sharing and make it more effective and transparent. Key stakeholders in this process include the local communities (especially Indigenous and Local Communities, or ILCs, and Traditional Knowledge Holders), Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local level, the NBA, SBBs, and industries (such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agricultural firms) that utilize India's genetic resources. This matters for India by promoting economic justice, incentivizing conservation efforts by local communities, and ensuring that India's rich biodiversity contributes to national development in an equitable manner. These rules are directly linked to Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution, which mandates every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment.

Another significant development was the **establishment of a new National Turmeric Board in 2025**. Turmeric holds immense cultural, medicinal, and economic significance in India, which is the world's largest producer, consumer, and exporter of this golden spice. Despite its dominance, Indian turmeric farmers and the industry often face challenges related to price volatility, lack of quality standardization, inadequate market linkages, and limited research and development. The creation of a dedicated board aims to address these systemic issues. The National Turmeric Board will likely focus on promoting the cultivation and processing of turmeric, enhancing its export potential, conducting and sponsoring research into new varieties and applications, and ensuring quality control and branding. This initiative is a boon for turmeric farmers, traders, and exporters, providing a unified platform for policy formulation and implementation. It aligns with the government's broader vision of boosting agricultural exports and doubling farmers' income, contributing significantly to rural prosperity and India's position in global spice trade. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, along with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, are key stakeholders, working to empower farmers and enhance value addition in the agricultural sector.

The **Indian government's Draft Seeds Bill, presented in 2025**, represents a critical step towards modernizing and regulating the country's seed sector. Quality seeds are fundamental to agricultural productivity and food security. India's existing Seeds Act, 1966, while foundational, needed an overhaul to address contemporary challenges such as the advent of genetically modified (GM) crops, intellectual property rights (IPR) issues in plant varieties, and the need for better regulation of seed quality and availability. The Draft Seeds Bill aims to ensure the availability of quality seeds to farmers, regulate the production, distribution, and sale of seeds, and protect the rights of farmers and seed breeders. It seeks to balance the interests of seed companies (both public and private) in innovation and investment with the traditional rights of farmers, including the right to save, use, sow, exchange, share, or sell their farm-saved seeds, a right enshrined in the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001. This legislation is vital for India's food security, farmer welfare, and the modernization of its agricultural sector, which employs a significant portion of its population. Key stakeholders include millions of farmers, numerous seed companies, agricultural research institutions, and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The Bill's provisions will directly impact the cost of cultivation, crop yield, and the overall resilience of Indian agriculture.

Collectively, these 2025 developments reflect a strategic approach to sustainable development. The benefit-sharing rules strengthen environmental governance and social equity, the Turmeric Board boosts agricultural economy and export, and the Seeds Bill ensures agricultural resilience and food security. They align with India's commitments under various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Future implications include enhanced biodiversity conservation, improved livelihoods for farmers and local communities, a more robust and regulated agricultural market, and a stronger global standing for India in both biodiversity stewardship and agricultural trade. However, successful implementation will require robust enforcement mechanisms, awareness campaigns, and continuous stakeholder engagement to navigate potential challenges and conflicts of interest.