Are you ready for the 13th Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum?
This year, it will be hosted within the “Sow Your Resistance” international farmer seed gathering.
We are thrilled to announce that registration for the International Farmer Seeds Gathering has officially reached its full capacity of 400 participants and is now closed.
While we’re happy to see such a strong interest, we’re also a bit sad that we can’t accommodate more attendees this time.
We look forward to seeing everyone from September 2-5, 2025, in Luxembourg at the SEED headquarters.
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support!
USE IT or LOSE IT
The European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity! (ECLLD) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the dynamic management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
Our core belief is that the diversification of our food systems can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders involved in cultivated biodiversity.
The Coordination boasts a robust network of 21 members with a network of 170 national organizations operating across 20 European countries with a membership base exceeding 35,000.
In collaboration with approximately 15,000 farmers, we actively engage in the conservation and management of around 40,000 plant varieties.
Where we are
We want to bring diversity back in our food system!
Countries across all the Europan Region
Staff and volunteers
Organisations part of the network
Varietes maintend and managed by the network
Individual Members
Farmers and gardeners involved in dynamic management of cultivated biodiversity
What we do
As an influential platform, EC-LLD! serves as a unique space for facilitating the exchange of practices and information among farmers, seed savers, NGO members, and emerging small enterprises, fostering local actions on agrobiodiversity and promoting participatory dialogues.
Our proven expertise extends to our participation in projects funded by Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020. Furthermore, we have established successful collaborations with a diverse range of foundations and academic institutions.
Our work span across the 3 following areas
policy
Capacity building and knowledge sharing regarding agrobiodiversity, seed policies and legislastion.
policy
Capacity building and knowledge sharing regarding agrobiodiversity, seed policies and legislastion.
Communities seed banks
Training, support and management across Europe.
Communities seed banks
Training, support and management across Europe.
Communities
Facilitating peer to peer exchange of practices and information between different actors.
Communities
Facilitating peer to peer exchange of practices and information between different actors.
Seed Carriers – The podcast
Episode 1 “Seeds As Time Capsules” begins with a basic description of seeds. What are these fascinating living entities we call “seeds” capable of, and how are they kept?
Listen to the full podcast below and visit the SEED CARRIERS page here
Featured project
The SEEDING EU project reinforce the capacity of associations and individuals working to conserve and increase seed diversity to understand and monitor the public policies that impact the conservation and use of seeds. In the context of this project we produced a Guide to EU Seed Policy
NEWS
Blue maize and red potatoes. A short cultural history of well-known and lesser-known cultivated plants
The content of this article is taken from the book: Blauer Mais und rote Kartoffel. Ein kleine Kulturgeschichte bekannten und weniger bekannter Kulturpflanzen. Published by Natur und Text, Rangsdorf, 2019. ISBN 978-3-942062-34-3. The main part of the book presents 42 food plants (from amaranth to sugar ear) and a further 25 lesser-known food plants (from achira to yam bean). The individual plant portraits are organized as follows: Domestication and distribution, botany, cultural history, art, cultivation, consumption, medicine and recipes. Examples of the use and importance of food plants in indigenous societies are illustrated in the plant portraits. Maps, illustrations and directories complete the text.
Cultivating diversity for resilient and inclusive communities
Cultivating diversity for resilient and inclusive communities: a workshop with seed savers, migrants, farmers and gardeners organised by project DiverseSeedPath
Protecting crops through plant diversity
The INRAE has recently published a free-to-download eBook by the title 'Protecting crops through plant diversity' in the context of project Ecophyto 2+ meant to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides to protect public health. This book is intended for research and...
The Organic Advice Network
A new initiative was launched in the spring 2024 as part of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and aligned to its target of achieving 25% organic farmland by 2030. The project aims to address the urgent need for skilled advisors in organic farming by creating and...
Series of surveys on forgotten crops – Radiant EU
Within the RADIANT EU project, the organisers of this survey exercise aim to support European policies and strategies that release the full value of neglected or forgotten crops and plant species within the food value chain. While in fact the current socio-economic...
European Citizens’ Initiative Forum for the Right to Food: what’s boiling in the pot?
From May 29-31, 2024, the second European Citizens' Initiative Forum for the Right to Food was held in Geneva, Switzerland. The event brought together over 70 participants who engaged in various working groups over the three days, initiating a collaborative process to advocate for the right to food. Soon the petition will be launched!
PGR management in farmers seed network in Europe and China
EC-LLD recently participated in an online event hosted by Pro Specie Rara, one of our members, to welcome a Chinese delegation at their headquarters in Switzerland. This was a significant step in our ongoing efforts to strengthen international collaboration and exchange knowledge on biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
Agroecology in and for Europe (AE4EU Project)
The second volume of results from the AE4EU European project's mapping exercise an agroecology in Europe was published. It includes material on Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Moldova, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and
the UK.
Land Squeeze – New release from the IPES Food
The struggle for land and the preservation of seed diversity are deeply interconnected. As land is increasingly monopolized by large entities, the diverse farming systems maintained by small-scale farmers and seed savers are being eroded.
FAO resources on millets
Millets are resilient plants: they can grow on arid land with minimal inputs in changing climates. All resources created during IYM2023 are now available online
Seed legislation, seed marketing, advocacy, seed systems, scientific publication, school and seminar, patents
Agrobiodiversity, seed savers, seed networks
Plant breeding, LLD Forum, news from members, news from other organizations
– SEEDS STORIES –
DO YOU WANT TO STAY UPDATED??
The ECLLD - News! informs about events, ongoing projects and insights regarding cultivated biodiversity at European level.
We are very pleased with your interest in our challenges, our diversity is our strength!
-COMMON CALENDAR –
Live Now- On Schedule
Live Now
On ScheduleOrgHort 2024Ongoing
- On Schedule
Organic Advice Network: 2nd meeting
- On Schedule
Democratic Odyssey transnational assembly
- On Schedule
4th Forum on Best Practices in the Agri-Food Supply Chain
- On Schedule
Seed Policy reform: the proposed EU regulation on the production and marketing of seeds and other plant reproductive material
Submit an Event
Legal Watch
The legal watch is realised by the French Farmers’ seeds network, Réseau Semences Paysannes. Informations are related to seeds marketing, intellectual property rights, genetic ressources.
It is presented in French.
