LLD Board Member and and technical director of Rete Semi Rurali, Riccardo Bocci, recently spoke to SeedWorld about efforts to preserve seed genetic diversity in Europe.
Riccardo spoke about LLD’s work representing 22 seed banks across Europe, and the organisation’s efforts to promote the inclusion of these community seed banks in the UN’s ‘Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture’ framework. Across Europe, there is a growing interest among farmers and the public to conserve traditional seed varieties. This growing interest is the result of dedicated training and education efforts from organisations such as LLD, and through EU-funded research projects.
The article also covers similar efforts to preserve seed diversity in the USA, Africa and internationally through initiatives led by the Germany-based Crop Trust.
There is an urgent need to preserve genetic diversity in the face of the threat posed by the ongoing consolidation of the global seed sector.
Read the article here: https://www.seedworld.com/europe/2025/04/11/preserving-seed-diversity-in-europe/
