The Sadolpara Farmers’ Group, Sadolpara Village, Dadenggre block of West Garo Hills district, Meghalaya, has been selected for the prestigious Plant Genome Saviour Community (PGSC) Award for 2023–24, instituted by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. The award recognises the group’s outstanding contribution to the conservation, protection and promotion of the rare and endangered traditional cotton variety, Comilla cotton (Gossypium arboreum L. race cernuum), along with several indigenous crop varieties traditionally cultivated and conserved by farming communities in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. About Comilla Cotton Cotton grown in the Garo hills of Meghalaya, India, belongs to the Indian cotton species, Gossypium arboreum race cernuum and this cotton is popularly known as Comilla cotton or Assam Comilla. It is cultivated under traditional jhum cultivation in a mixed cropping system with 10–15 crops in a single piece of land. This species, traditionally marketed during the pre-independence era in the Comilla district of present-day Bangladesh, is celebrated for its resilience and its suitability for surgical cotton. Comilla cotton has distinct traits such as large bracts, elongated capsules, and large bolls (6–8 grams), with excellent boll retention and ginning efficiency of up to 50%. It is also naturally resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. The cotton’s high absorbency and short-staple fibre make it ideal for medical purposes, making it a highly sought-after variety in the surgical cotton industry. Role in Comilla Cotton preservation The Sadolpara Comilla Cotton Farmers Association has collectively been involved in the traditional farming towards preserving this unique indigenous cotton variety through generations of traditional mixed-cropping practices. The community’s contribution extends beyond cotton conservation. The farmers also preserve and cultivate several traditional crops, including rice, maize, ash gourd, broad bean and tapioca, thereby safeguarding valuable agro-biodiversity and indigenous agricultural knowledge. The community also promotes traditional millet-based food products during the Wangala festival, reflecting the close relationship between agricultural heritage, food culture and community traditions.