Plant diversity at the organic farmers' market in Thessaloniki © Adèle Violette

In collaboration with Anastasia Vasileiadou from the SITO Seed network, the Seeds4All project embarked on a Greek journey to collect stories of farmers and gardeners committed to saving seeds and promoting agrobiodiversity.

Traveling from Komotini to Athens, we aimed to explore various approaches to seed preservation gaining insights into how traditional varieties and agricultural practices can be sustained and valued despite economic challenges, in a country weighed down by debt and austerity measures.

Greece is among the few European countries experiencing a gradual reduction in cultivated land over recent decades, driven by both the loss of farms and a decline in the total area used for cultivation. The agricultural sector suffers from a severe lack of state support and investment, while grappling with significant challenges such as climate change, low generational renewal, and a growing divide between urban centers and rural areas.

In this context, the stories we gathered from Chrysoula Skorditi, Antonis Kutsubas, Nikos Dompazis, Alex Karatzas, and Natasa Antari not only highlight the dynamics of practices advancing seed diversity and sovereignty, but also demonstrate how adopting these alternative practices goes hand in hand with a symbolic commitment to reimagining food production.

Chrysoula surrounded by her traditional leeks © Adèle Violette

Moreover, in recent years, organic farming has become increasingly difficult to sustain. Setting prices based on actual costs is often unfeasible; for instance, her leeks would need to sell for €5 per kilo to break even, yet she compromises at a lower price to meet consumer constraints.

The Salad Farm is a member of the Union of Organic Farmers in Northern Greece, gathering about 100 members. With a handful of them, Chrysoula actively promotes sustainable agri-food practices. "We try to organize ourselves to highlight the importance of organic and heirloom varieties, but we need more support." she says.

Chrysoula hopes for stronger commitment from the state, both in terms of funding and in educating consumers. Concrete measures could include mandating organic and locally sourced supplies for the collective canteens of state institutions like schools and hospitals.

We interviewed Chrysoula on a rainy morning, in the greenhouse where she stores her seedlings. As we chatted, we helped prepare the traditional leek bunches that would be sold at the market the next day © Adèle Violette

Saving seeds is a labor-intensive process, but it also helps her cut costs, as seeds alone can account for up to 40% of her total expenses if purchased for all her crops. "Using our own seeds makes sense” she says. “It's cost-effective and ensures we have control over what we grow. Plus, their fruits are tastier. This never seizes to impress me.”

Chrysoula's main concern, however, is to help secure the future of food production, threatened by the erosion of global seed diversity. “If no one saves these seeds, a time will come when food production will cease. If farmers and consumers understand this, change is possible.”

Antonis Kutsubas in his clay workshop © Adèle Violette

Sowing and harvesting it by hand with the help of friends and family, he first faced a significant challenge with the robust husk that protected the grain but was difficult to remove. Existing machinery was inadequate, so he set out to create custom equipment.

Antonis and his collaborators’ success in 2012 led to the development of an energy-efficient mill, which gained attention from other farmers. They began selling the custom machinery, addressing the gap in affordable and efficient farming tools.

Shortly after that, they established a social cooperative, producing 10-12 tons/year of Triticum diccocum for bread and pasta. They collaborate with landowners in different regions of Greece, some of whom are not even farmers but are willing to cultivate the grain with the right support. This decentralized model promotes agrobiodiversity and ensures diverse, high-quality crops, benefiting from the unique microclimates of each area.

The cooperative has also emphasized education, offering workshops on traditional techniques such as clay crafting and outdoor oven building.

Antonis's holistic approach is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical significance of the grains he works with. His efforts highlight the potential for small-scale, innovative agricultural practices to thrive, when they are driven by a deep sense of curiosity and unwavering determination.

The bakery is at the back of the house of Antonis and his wife Selva Manfredini. Here you can see the mill developed especially for Triticum diccocum seeds, as well as the traditional trahana sold by the cooperative.

Natasa Antari and Alex Karatzas in their garden © Adèle Violette

Alex and Natasa acknowledge that while their produce is highly valued, particularly by parents seeking healthy food for their children, the market for organic products is unstable and challenging to navigate.

Although they are embedded in a rural community, the majority of their customers are city dwellers. This adds a significant logistical challenge to their already demanding work, requiring deliveries to locations hundreds of kilometers away from their farms. Reaching out to the local population has proven unexpectedly difficult, a paradox that underscores the disconnect between rural production and local consumption in Greece.

On top of these structural challenges, Alex and Natasa face constant struggles with environmental factors, such as this year’s heavy rain that delayed the sowing of chickpeas and led to a proliferation of weeds in their fields – the perennial bane of organic farming.

On the left, the vegetable garden and greenhouses at the Eco Gaia farm. On the right, a glimpse of the weedy chickpea field which, at the time of our visit, was endangering the growth of the seedlings © Adèle Violette

Yet, despite these hurdles, Alex and Natasa remain committed to their vision. They are driven by a desire to create a sustainable livelihood, not just for themselves but for the wider community.

Their story is one of resilience, a testament to the challenges that small-scale farmers often endure in pursuit of a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life and work. Their farm, EcoGaia, stands as both a sanctuary and a battleground, where the ideals of organic and sustainable farming clash with the harsh realities of economic survival.

Interwiewinf Nikos took place in his gardens, while sowing seeds, picking fruits, and weeding plots © Adèle Violette

During the project, Nikos met Panagiotis Sainatoudis, founder of the Peliti association, who had spent years collecting traditional seeds across Greece. Panagiotis gifted Nikos the first seeds for the educational project, which culminated in a seed awareness event in Komotini. Plants grown by children from these seeds were given to their families, launching a local tradition.

This seed-sharing event has become an annual highlight, continuing uninterrupted for 23 years. In April 2024, 30 schools participated, ranging from elementary to secondary levels, and over 500 attendees received seedlings.

The method of pre-germinating beans allows Nikos to select the best seeds before sowing them © Adèle Violette

By saving seeds, Nikos is not only preserving biodiversity but also empowering his community. His dedication lies in passing on knowledge and skills, giving children and families the capacity to engage with and understand the importance of sustainable food production. His dedication extends beyond gardening to celebrating the fruits of his labor, sharing recipes like his delicious trahana soup made from dried vegetables.

Along with the grassroots networks surrounding him, Nikos offers a direct response to the lack of state involvement in food education—an issue raised earlier in this article by organic farmer Chrysoula Skorditi.

Just like the bold innovators and courageous farmers who dare to go against the tide of unsustainable seed practices, these networks form a vital link in the chain of actors needed to achieve a paradigm shift and build a more connected food system.

This series of field visits in Greece provided valuable insights into the state of local seed awareness. Riding the country from North to South, Seeds4All also had the opportunity to nurture relationships with various of its local partners. With the support and guidance of Anastasia Vasileiadou and the SITO Seed network, these moments deepened our understanding of the broader Greek agricultural landscape, laying a stronger foundation for meaningful engagement.

In the Drama prefecture, we took a detour to finally attend the renowned festival organized by the PELITI association, which gathered hundreds of people for a major seed swap spotlighting Greek heirloom varieties.

Along the way, we stopped at Litsa’s farm near Thessaloniki, where we met Litsa, her husband Dimitri and some of their French and Greek partners over tea, engaging in a captivating discussion about the history of cooperative movements in Greece.

We had the chance to be hosted for a few days by the 22 nuns of the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist, finding rest and inspiration in their way of living with simplicity and sufficiency.

To conclude our journey, we took part in the SITO Seed Network festival in Athens, delivering a talk and distributing a leaflet to highlight and promote the work of the people we had met along the way.

You can find below an overview of these key moments from the journey!

Among the issues raised during all these meetings, the one of alliance—the ability to unite and work together—stood out as the most pressing

Highly committed and forward-thinking, some of the people we interviewed expressed a sense of isolation and solitude in the challenges they are facing. Others highlighted the severe shortage of infrastructure in their country and sector, which hampers entrepreneurial freedom and stifles connections among stakeholders.

By listening to their needs and expectations, Seeds4All and SITO considered how the broader European context could help inspire those working locally to build alternative food systems—through seed saving, taking ownership of food production, committing to quality, and empowering local communities, among other efforts.

We observed a strong desire for the emergence of more spaces in Greece that would foster the exchange of expertise, solidarity among peers, and collective action.

The issue of cooperatives often came up in discussions, with particular interest in the specifics of the movement in countries like France or Belgium, compared to the Greek experience. Other models, such as hyper-local production chains or food councils were mentioned as potential sources of enlightenment. Fantasies also emerged, such as the idea of an Erasmus program for farmers, which would help reconnect Greek agriculture with that of other European countries.

Wishing to foster its partnership with the SITO Seed network, Seeds4All is committed to keep supporting these dynamics of knowledge-sharing and collaboration among rural and agricultural communities from Europe.