farmer Bala Gaikwad asked his son never to break this promise: “You can skip going to the temple, but never stop cultivating the emmer wheat,” he said.
 

Today, even his grandson, Sakharam Gaikwad, now in his mid-80s, has kept the promise. He has carried a legacy of cultivating emmer wheat for over 150 years. 
 

Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) is considered to be first cultivated roughly 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent (found in the middle-east), the cradle of civilization. 
 

With an estimated production of 106.84 million tons this year, India remains the second-highest wheat-producing country worldwide. However, emmer wheat’s cultivation is on a rapid decline. 
 

“It takes around five months to grow. Whereas the hybrid varieties promise a much higher return in less than three months,” shares Gaikwad about its rapid decline. Popularly known as Khapli gehu in India, it’s primarily cultivated in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. 
 

Emmer is hulled wheat, which means it has strong husks that, after threshing, separate into smaller components called spikelets, an impenetrable fortress for the grain. These strong hulls protect it from several pests, thereby increasing its shelf life. However, it also requires tremendous back-breaking labor, especially prior to the advent of threshing machines. 

The hybrid varieties - the durum and common wheat derived from emmer - have brittle husks, which has made processing simpler. However, they are much more vulnerable to pests, diseases, pollution, and climate change events. India’s government estimates that the heatwaves of March this year led to a three percent decline in wheat production, forcing India to stop wheat export. 
 

Sakharam says emmer wheat is one of the few crops that survived the heat waves and rapidly changing local climatic patterns. Khapli is naturally resistant to several pests and fungal infections, eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. “Today, we can’t cultivate hybrid variety without using chemicals.” Moreover, even if the farmer misses planting it by over 45 days, the crop still gives a better yield, unlike the hybrid counterpart, which has to be sown in time.
 

Khapli, which has a higher amount of protein than the modern varieties, has immense health benefits. It is rich in fiber, which helps moderate weight and makes for a complete diet with lesser calories. It also forms a part of a heart-healthy diet as the higher fiber content helps maintain cardiovascular health. In addition, since emmer has a low glycemic index compared to the modern varieties, it helps keep blood sugar levels in check. 

It has a particular demand, especially amongst India’s clay wrestlers who consume khapli porridge and flatbread as breakfast, giving them enough strength. “Moreover, its stalk is at least four-five feet tall as against the two feet of hybrid varieties,” says Sakharam, making it a powerhouse cattle fodder.  
 

Today, it fetches a handsome price of almost Rs 100 ($1.2) per kilogram, thrice that of the hybrid varieties. “However, cultivating this is labor intensive, and the production is less,” shares Sakharam’s wife, Housabai, who’s in her late 70s. 
 

She believes over 60 farmers once cultivated this crop in her Jambhali village of Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district; today, it is down to just a handful.

The Gaikwad family owes their life to the crop for several reasons. In the 1960s, Sakharam sold 40 sacks (4500 kilograms) of emmer, which helped him build his house.
 

Since his youth, he has been making an interesting observation to track how traditional crops are on the decline. “Looking at the changing breakfast items, you can say how several indigenous crops are going extinct. Earlier, we ate an entire bowl of porridge made from khapli followed by two bhakri (indigenous sorghum flatbread), thecha (spicy condiment made using chilies, garlic, coconut), and curd.”
 

Relying on emmer wheat alone couldn’t sustain his livelihood, due to the lower production yield, but, he says proudly, “Despite cultivating sugarcane and other cash crops, I kept my father’s word.” 
 

. . .

We are thrilled and grateful to have collaborated with Jain through our Share Your Voice initiative, an ongoing effort inspired by the #sharethemicnow movement.
 

Yours in food, justice, and food justice,

Tay + Dor

The Gaikwad family has been cultivating traditional emmer wheat, or Khapli, for over 150 years. Pictured left to right are emmer spikelets, an impenetrable fortress with grain intact, the traditional emmer wheat, and a hybrid wheat variety, which promises a higher yield in lesser time but is otherwise less environmentally sustainable and less nutritious. Photo by Sanket Jain.

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