EU Commission’s PRM law – a threat to seed diversity and sovereignty
The European Commission’s proposed EU law of Production and Marketing of Plant Reproductive Material is a threat to small seed producers, and to the conservation of seed diversity.
If the proposed seed law is passed, the effects of small seed producers and fruit tree nurseries across the EU will be devastating. This will have important consequences for farming and agriculture in the EU as well as agrobiodiversity, as these producers and nurseries offer a greater diversity of crops and varieties than large companies.
For more information, read more ARCHE NOAH’s recent report here: https://www.arche-noah.at/media/bureaucracy_against_biodiversity_report_may_2025_3.pdf
ARCHE NOAH Report: Bureaucracy against biodiversity
EU Agriculture Ministers meeting – reach out to your minister
The European Parliament has not yet endorsed the EC’s proposed law. On 23 and 24 June EU agriculture ministers will be meeting to discuss the proposed law. Reach out to your country’s minister and ask them to speak up for farmers’ rights and biodiversity.
- Please reach out to your minister to ask to speak up for free conservation work without seed
A leaked version of the Polish government’s position on the proposed seed law would ban farmers from informal seed exchanges.
marketing restrictions. You can use ARCHE NOAH’s briefing on good practices in the current seed marketing laws in the different EU member states when it comes to exempting conservation work from the seed marketing rules. You can the briefing attached in this post here: Good practice example for Agriculture Ministers
- Please continue to reach out to the responsible civil servants and ask them to protect conservation work from overregulation. Mention that all transfers for the aim of conservation should be put outside the scope, as many different actors are needed for successful conservation work next to conservation organisations (farmers, seed libraries, schools, individual seed savers/producers, …)
- Raise media awareness! Share this post and ARCHE NOAH’s ‘Raise Our Forks’ campaign on your social media and networks, and encourage conversations.
“RAISE OUR FORKS – FOR DIVERSITY!”
Support ARCHE NOAH’s campaign calling on EU lawmakers to protect farmers’ rights to keep, use and exchange seed material and defend seed diversity in Europe. Read and sign their petition here: https://mitmachen.arche-noah.at/en/raise-our-forks
Support ARCHE NOAH’s ‘Raise our forks for diversity’ petition. (Image credit: Arche Noah)
