Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
This peer-reviewed article presents the first systematic review of community seed banks in China, based on participatory action research, surveys (N=470), interviews and case studies of 27 community seed banks (12 supported by the Farmers’ Seed Network). It documents the growth and diversity of Chinese community seed banks (nearly 30 by 2020), maps their functions and services, and proposes an expanded conceptual framework. Building on the established core functions (conservation; access, availability and utilization; sharing and networking), the authors identify two additional functions observed in China: adding value to seed and produce (e.g. market development, CSA links, GI products) and seedsystem linkages and collaboration (e.g. links with ex situ genebanks, repatriation via participatory breeding). Three case studies (Guzhai, Wangjinzhuang, Yuefengdao) illustrate multifunctional roles across agro-ecologies. The paper highlights practical benefits for agroecology, nutrition and local economies and identifies key challenges—seed health/quality, management capacity, inspection/quarantine and long-term sustainability. It offers policy recommendations, including backup mechanisms with national genebanks, use of international access-and-benefit-sharing frameworks, and targeted technical support to strengthen community seed banks and their integration into national conservation and food systems.
Key topics: community seed banks, agrobiodiversity, seed conservation, seed systems, participatory breeding, farmers’ seed networks, policy recommendations
