Seeds are the origin and the future of agriculture. And yet, we keep losing so much...
To date, following more than sixty years of restrictive legislation on the marketing of seeds at EU level, a very limited number of plant varieties and breeding materials are being placed on the market, threatening food sovereignty and security.
The erosion of cultivated biodiversity is linked to the accelerated development of an industrial food and farming system favouring intensive monoculture, patents on the living world, the concentration of means of production, the internationalisation of exchanges and loss of local specificities…
Faced with growing climatic pressures, this system must be questioned for its glaring lack of equity and capacity to adapt.
Across Europe, farmers, breeders, bakers, brewers, gardeners, dyers, food producers and seed enthousiasts of all kinds, are striving to safeguard, enrich and use the seed diversity essential to the resilience of our food heritage.
Seeds4All is dedicated to supporting the success and development of their initiatives by:
- SPOTLIGHTING — Curating and simplifying information on alternative seed practices and approaches.
- FACILITATING — Stengthening connections while fostering knowledge and building understanding.
- CELEBRATING — Creating opportunities to share and amplify the stories of those nurturing seed diversity.
In July 2023, the European Commission tabled two key proposals for the future of our seeds: on Plant Reproductive Material, on Plants produced by certain new genomic techniques.
In 2013, an initial attempt to reform the EU seed law failed to address crucial agrobiodiversity concerns and was rejected by the Parliament. The new proposal, introduced alongside the GMO deregulation one, now poses significant risks of further consolidating food production in the hands of industrial players, and accelerating the loss of sovereignty over our food.
In this context, Seeds4All and its partners remain committed to influencing the outcome of the debates.
Key Points Guiding the Seeds4All Policy Vision
► Reversing the rule and the exception: we must overcome the vision that legislation should be designed primarily to meet the needs of industrial production and only tolerate at the margin the existence of "amateur" categories for greater seed diversity, benefiting from “exceptions” and "derogations".
► Recognising the high degree of public benefit of the preservation, reproduction and use of population varieties and locally-adapted crops: because they largely contribute to strengthening food security (autonomy of rural communities, adaptation to climate change, crop resilience, etc.), these activities must benefit from significant regulatory, financial and infrastructural support.
► Opposing the criminalisation of farmers and rural communities freely exchanging and using seeds: at a time when four companies control more than 50% of the global seed market, the inalienable right to seed autonomy must be defended as a way to ensure the circulation of crops that stand a better chance of adapting to local specificities and climate change.
► Preventing the market to be flooded with de facto patented genetically modified varieties: in compliance with the precautionary principle and in order not to cause a decisive attack on food sovereignty (producer autonomy, consumer choice), it is imperative to oppose the authorisation of marketing new GMOs without any control and labelling rules.
A must-watch for understanding the obstacles posed by legislation to seed diversity and sovereignty, is the short documentary Seeds of Europe, directed by Lennart Kleinschmidt and Lotta Schwenkert. While their beautiful images pay tribute to the diversity of Europe's landscapes, resources, and climates, one striking element stands out: the uniformity of challenges and expectations faced by these artisan seed growers, who simply wish to sustain themselves through their work.
“Seeds of Europe“ explores the lives and struggles of artisanal seed growers across six diverse countries in Europe. From Ireland to the Alps – from Eastern Europe to the Mediterranean, this short documentary spans language barriers, different climate regions and biographies, weaving them together into a story about the hard work necessary to preserve our cultivated heritage. “Seeds of Europe” tells the human stories behind the craftsmanship of seed-cultivation and preservation that has been handed down through generations. What does the future hold for cultivated plants and seeds in Europe? How do small producers of cultivated plant diversity view the situation? What do they hope for?
Next Steps in Learning about & Supporting the Free Seed Movement
The European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity! (EC-LLD!) is a strong network of 22 national organisations dedicated to the dynamic management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Bringing together a vibrant community of seed enthousiasts, EC-LLD! is a key platform to facilitate the exchange of practices, promote local agrobiodiversity actions and participatory dialogues.
SEED CARRIERS is an audio documentary series by the artist-run Institut Plapamco and the Let's Liberate Diversity! network. Exploring the intersection of art, activism, and seed science, the three-episodes series blends poetry and documentary to reflect on seed sharing, the human-plant relationship, and the history of plant domestication. Dive into the heart of seed!
ARCHE NOAH is a citizen initiative with over 13,000 members, dedicated to preserving and propagating heirloom varieties of seeds. On a European scale, the organisation leads actions and campaigns aimed at raising awareness among political institutions and influencing key negotiations on legislation impacting seed preservation and cultivated biodiversity.
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