Sabarmatee (bornc. 1968) is an Indian conservationist and farmer living in Nayagarh district in the state ofOdisha. She works with anon-governmental organization called Sambhav which was visualised by her father Padma Shri Prof Radhamohan that promotesorganic farming and conservation of indigenous varieties besides doing many other activities. The achievements of Sabarmatee were recognised in 2018, when she received theNari Shakti Puraskar and in 2020 with thePadma Shri.
Sabarmatee was bornc. 1969.[1] She lives in theNayagarh district, near toBhubaneswar in the state ofOdisha in India.[2] Her father Radha Mohan bought land in the 1980s that was a wasteland. Usingorganic farming techniques, father and daughter rejuvenated the land after three years. They then took on more land, building up to 90 acres.[1] Amongst other things they growclove bean,jack bean,sword bean andblack rice.[3] Together they set up a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Sambhav which promotes organic farming and seed exchanges. She left her job atOxfam in 1993 in order to work full-time for Sambhav.[1]
By 2021, Sambhav had collected 500 seed varieties for preservation. It holds training days and runs an annual Seed Festival.[2] The NGO has partnered with a self-help group called Ma Saraswati to promote women's rights and environmental causes in local villages.[2] It promotes theSystem of Rice Intensification (SRI) which is designed to maximise rice yields and according to Tiki also makes the labour process easier for women working in thepaddy fields.[4]
The work of Sabarmatee was recognised in 2018, when she received theNari Shakti Puraskar, India's highest civil award for women.[5]In 2020, she received thePadma Shri alongside her father in recognition of their decades long promotion of conservation and organic farming.[3] MinisterPiyush Goyal said the two were "unsung heroes".[6]
Additionally, she also received :
Prerana Award- 2013
Odisha Living Legend Award- 2015
Sambhavi Puraskar - 2016
Impact Women Award-2018
Impact Leader of the year Award - 2022
Honorary Doctorate ( DSc) by Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
Pratibha Samman- 2023
Times Power Women Odisha Award - 2023
besides many other fecititation and recognitions.