Agriculture is vital for livelihoods in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Local communities in these countries have developed unique farming systems well-adapted to their environments. This includes using local crop varieties with unique traits like flood, drought and disease resistance. Thus, community resilience to disasters was in place for centuries. However, such practices are at risk due to promoting foreign and/or hybrid seeds. This policy brief draws case studies from Nepal, India and Bangladesh and highlights the value of local crop varieties in strengthening community resilience to disasters.