Question

For generations, smallholder farmers along the Enugu escarpment relied on community-managed seed banks curated primarily by women elders. These indigenous seed vaults housed diverse landraces of yam, cassava, and legumes selected over decades for resilience to erratic rainfall and localized pest infestations. However, the recent introduction of subsidized hybrid seeds by commercial agricultural programs led younger farmers to abandon these traditional varieties in pursuit of higher short-term yields. While the hybrid crops performed exceptionally well during seasons of abundant rainfall, their strict dependency on expensive synthetic fertilizers and vulnerability to prolonged dry spells quickly exposed their fragility. Simultaneously, the neglect of community seed vaults caused several rare landraces to become virtually extinct in the region. Realizing the peril of total crop failure during unpredictable weather shifts, a small network of elder women began secretly cultivating micro-plots of landraces on hilly terrain unsuitable for commercial farming, creating informal sanctuaries for genetic diversity.

Based on the passage above, what can be deduced about the elder women's motivation for cultivating traditional landraces on hilly terrain?