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Community seed banks

Junior Farmer Field and Life School - Facilitator’s guide

Year of publication 2014

Pages 30 p.

Product type Document

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Seed saving is a practice that farmers and their families have been engaged in for millennia. It has allowed them to cultivate a large number of different local varieties, which have been able to adapt to different environmental conditions and changes, such as to the shortages of water, strong winds, limited soil nutrients and so on. Although seeds can be saved at the global level, such as in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault1, this may not be enough to ensure diversity at local level. In this rega rd, community seed banks can help farmers to access seeds to grow crops during the next planting season or they can be used as an emergency seed supply when their crops are damaged and destroyed, for example, due to flooding. As climate change has a significant impact on agricultural production, growing local varieties, which have a high degree of genetic diversity, is highly important because these varieties have the ability to better withstand and adapt to environmental stresses and changes. S etting up community seed banks may help farmers to acquire varieties that are adapted to local conditions; these varieties may not be accessible through formal seed systems, may be costly or may suffer from erratic supplies. If farmers, in particular small holder farmers with poor resources, can access these locally adapted varieties, it can help them to get access to seeds for the next planting season as well as provide them with an emergency seed supply in times of crisis, thus making them les s dependent on the formal seed systems. Community seed banks will help to preserve seed of the most adapted varieties for the region, either local varieties or new ones coming from breeding programs. The selection of the most suited varieties for a region needs time and trials with technical support, but after the identification of best varieties, the community seed bank plays a very important role in maintaining the availability of quality seed. Seed diversity is enhanced and additional income is generated when seeds are exchanged and sold to neighbouring communities. Diversification of crops and varieties is also highly important in terms of people’s food security, because it reduces the risk of total production failures and contributes to strengthening communities’ resilience.

Language English

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