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Research theme: Institutions, Governance and Power

Opportunities for farm seed conservation,
breeding and production

Dates / Duration: Start 2007 - ongoing

Background

Growing consumers demand for locally produced food, the increasing awareness of the need to preserve endangered agro-biodiversity as well as the necessity to decrease the use of external inputs (i.e. pesticides and fertilizer in organic farming), has increased the demand for seeds of land races, speciality and conservation varieties. However, strict rules for marketing of seeds set by the Directives of the European Union (EU), the small market niches for such varieties and the marketing priorities of commercial companies have threatened the survival of local varieties and biodiversity important for food and agriculture.

Overall objective

The overall objectives of this project are to:

1. set up a science- and marketing-based framework involving all relevant actors, focusing on the development of methodologies for participatory breeding strategies, facilitating the marketing of seeds of landraces, conservation varieties and special ‘amateur’ varieties. “Marketing" is used here as a general term that includes production, use, exchange and selling;
2. Provide society at large with adequate information about scientific results and on-going research in order to address its legitimate demand for locally produced food and the conservation of endangered agro-biodiversity;
3. to stimulate public engagement and citizen involvement in decision-making.

IIED’s Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Livelihoods Program is working with 12 other European partners (research organisations and farmer networks) in this action research. For more information see: http://www.farmseed.net/home

Contact:

Dr Michel Pimbert
michel.pimbert@iied.org

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