Awardee of the prestigious UNDP Equator Prize 2025 – often called the “Nobel Prize for Biodiversity.”
By Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa
A Global Recognition for Rural Women: In a small corner of Karnataka, far from the corridors of power and the glare of television studios, a quiet revolution has been taking place. In Teertha village of Dharwad district, a group of Muslim women farmers have done what many thought impossible: they have revived traditional agriculture, empowered women, and built a sustainable rural economy – earning them global recognition.
Earlier this year, the Bibi Fathima Self-Help Group (SHG) was named one of the 10 winners of the UNDP Equator Prize 2025. Often described as the “Nobel Prize for Biodiversity,” the award recognises outstanding local initiatives that offer nature-based solutions to climate change and development challenges. Out of 700 nominations from 103 countries, these women stood out.
From Small Beginnings to a Wider Network
The journey began in 2019, when the SHG was formed under the guidance of the NGO Sambhvida. What started as a modest effort soon grew into a larger movement. Today, the Bibi Fathima SHG is part of a federation of 83 self-help groups, linking together nearly 300 women across Dharwad.
At the forefront is Bibi Fathima, a graduate in Arts, whose vision and determination have inspired women from different backgrounds to participate. Under her leadership, the SHG has become more than just an economic unit – it has become a space for learning, cooperation, and social change.
Millet: From Margins to the Mainstream
At the heart of their work lies a humble but powerful grain: millet. Once a staple of Karnataka’s fields and kitchens, millets were pushed to the margins by the Green Revolution’s focus on rice and wheat. The result was water scarcity, soil exhaustion, and loss of dietary diversity.
Their focus on millets also resonates globally. In fact, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, recognising the grain’s role in ensuring food security and combating climate change. Governments, scientists, and nutritionists around the world are now looking at millets as the “crops of the future.” What the world is beginning to rediscover, the women of Dharwad have been practising for years – placing millets back at the heart of farming and household nutrition.
The women of Teertha decided to turn back to their roots. Through the SHG, they revived millet-based mixed cropping systems, promoting traditional practices that require less water, restore soil health, and provide nutritious food. They did not stop at farming – they built a movement around biodiversity.
The Seed Bank: A Living Library
One of their most significant achievements is the establishment of a community seed bank, where dozens of indigenous varieties of millets and pulses are preserved in earthen jars and carefully catalogued. The seed bank is more than a storage system – it is a lifeline. It ensures that farmers do not have to depend on costly hybrid seeds from outside markets.
The shelves lined with jars of foxtail, little millet, kodo, and pulses symbolise something larger: the preservation of biodiversity for future generations. As one member put it, “Every jar holds not just seeds, but the story of our ancestors and the hope of our children.”
Voices from the Ground
Speaking to Radiance News, Bibi Fathima explained how cooperation has been the backbone of their success.
“No single group can do this alone. We work together – sharing seeds, knowledge, and experiences. The seed bank has become our lifeline. It is not just a storehouse of grains, it is a storehouse of trust,” she told Radiance correspondent Mushtaq.
Her words capture the essence of the movement: solidarity across communities, generations, and villages.
From Seed to Market
The SHG’s innovation extends beyond cultivation. Recognising the need for value addition, they established a solar-powered millet processing unit, managed entirely by women. This unit transforms raw millet into flour, snacks, and packaged products that are finding markets in both rural and urban areas.
Partnerships have been crucial in this journey:
- With Sahaja Samruddha, the SHG built marketing and certification channels.
- With the Indian Institute of Millets Research, they accessed technical expertise.
- With the Devadhanya Farmer Producer Company, they entered wider markets.
This blend of grassroots energy and institutional cooperation has turned a local SHG into a regional model for sustainable farming.
Breaking Stereotypes in a Polarised Society
In today’s climate, Muslims are often asked – sometimes with suspicion – what they contribute to the nation. Muslim women, in particular, are portrayed as silent or confined to the margins.
The Bibi Fathima SHG challenges these stereotypes powerfully. Here are Muslim women, in a rural corner of Karnataka, who are not just participating but leading. They are reviving biodiversity, protecting food security, and building rural enterprises. Their work proves that Muslim women are at the heart of India’s agricultural and social transformation.
Building Bridges: Hindu and Muslim Women Together
Perhaps the most inspiring part of this story is its inclusivity. The network of 83 SHGs is not confined to one community. Hindu and Muslim women farm together, share seeds, and manage enterprises as equal partners.
In an age when some try to inflame communal divisions for political purposes, these women are building bridges of unity through the soil itself. Their fields are places of cooperation, not conflict; of shared harvests, not suspicion. Biodiversity conservation here is not just ecological – it is social.
Faith and Social Service
Their commitment is also rooted in a broader moral principle of service. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“The best among you are those who are best for society.”
Through farming, seed conservation, and entrepreneurship, the women of Teertha embody this ethos. Their contribution benefits not only Muslims but the entire community, from farmers and consumers to future generations.
A Long History of Muslim Contributions to Agriculture
This achievement is not an isolated story. For centuries, Muslims have enriched India’s agricultural landscape:
- Irrigation systems built by engineers in medieval India turned barren land fertile.
- New crops such as guava, pomegranate, and certain citrus varieties spread through trade routes maintained by Muslim communities.
- Orchards and gardens in the Deccan and Mughal India reflected a philosophy of harmony between beauty and utility.
- Women in rural households played critical roles in livestock, kitchen gardens, and seed saving – long before these terms became development jargon.
The women of Teertha stand in this tradition, carrying forward a legacy of stewardship and innovation.
Global Recognition, Local Pride
The Equator Prize 2025 is more than a trophy. It comes with a cash award of USD 10,000, but its symbolic value is greater. It tells the world that solutions to climate change and food insecurity are not found only in international conferences, but also in the daily work of rural women.
Later this year, representatives of the SHG will be virtually honoured at the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil. Their story will stand alongside other grassroots champions from Africa, Latin America, and Asia – proof that local action has global relevance.
Seeds of Hope for Plural India
The journey of the Bibi Fathima SHG is more than a story of millet farming. It is a story of agency, dignity, and unity. It shows that Muslim women are not passive observers but active leaders – biodiversity promoters, community builders, and entrepreneurs.
Their fields are not just producing crops – they are producing harmony, resilience, and hope. At a time when divisions are deepened for political gain, these women remind us that India’s real strength lies in cooperation across communities and in valuing every contribution, no matter how small.
The seeds planted in Teertha are not only for Karnataka’s soil. They are seeds for India’s future.
