Let’s Liberate Diversity! News
CGRFA-20: Session Outcomes
The FAO’s Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture held an online information session on 26th of June where they presented the outcomes of its 20th Regular Session
You can find the presentation slides (in English) here: CGRFA-20 Outcomes
If you were unable to attend the session or would like to revisit the discussion, the webinar recording is available here.
To stay informed about the Commission’s ongoing work and future activities, we invite you to subscribe to the newsletter via this registration form.
Should you have any questions, feedback or interest in further collaboration, you can also reach out to the CGRFA team at cgrfa@fao.org.
The Seed Policy Dialogue is now available in Spanish!
The SEEDING EU project continues to make an impact, even after its official end. Thanks to the collaboration with Raquel Ajates, UNED the guide has now been translated into Spanish!
At a time when European negotiations on the Seed Marketing Reform are ongoing, it is crucial that all farmers, citizens, and stakeholders clearly understand how European institutions work and how the reform process unfolds. This legislation will have a direct impact on seeds, their marketing, and agricultural biodiversity.
Here you can give a look to the publication and all the videos of Seeding Europe: https://liberatediversity.org/seeding-europe-erasmus/
Growing the Movement: Connecting Global Seed Networks at the LLD! Forum
Over the past year, a quiet yet powerful convergence has been unfolding in the world of farmers’ seeds. Across regions, many initiatives, networks, and platforms have been working, often in parallel, to support farmers’ seed systems and cultivated biodiversity. While these efforts vary in scope and approach, there is growing recognition that better coordination is needed. A collective effort is now emerging to connect the dots, improve alignment, strengthen exchanges, and explore ways of working more effectively together.
From Shared Conversations to Shared Purpose
This process began in 2024, when ECLLD started facilitating conversations with partners from different regions working on farmers’ seeds. These early exchanges revealed a common challenge: while many collaborations already exist, we often lack visibility on each other’s work. We don’t always know which processes are underway, what strategies are being used, or how decisions made in different spaces might affect the work we are doing with our communities.
The 13th edition of the Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum, held in Antibes in 2024, marked a turning point. It offered a concrete opportunity to bring together regional and international actors to explore how we might improve coordination and build more connected ways of working. It was also the starting point for imagining a shared ecosystem of collaboration—one that could support mutual learning, policy engagement, and joint action.
An informal group began to take shape following the workshop in Antibes. Since then, it has continued to grow, involving more actors and gaining wider recognition.
Antibes 2024 – First Workshop on Strenghtening Global Seed Networks
Strengthening the Ties: A Global Web in the Making
Today, the momentum continues to build. A growing number of organisations and platforms are actively engaged, including Oxfam’s Community of Practice on Farmers’ Seed Systems, the IFOAM Seed Platform, the Seed Library Network and Open Source Seed Initiative (North America), Farmers’ Seed Networks in China and Kenya, and COASP in West Africa.
Together, these actors are creating a space for dialogue and reflection. It is a space where diverse initiatives can come together to discuss opportunities and explore potential roadmaps for improving strategic coordination in support of farmers’ seeds and cultivated biodiversity.
As we look ahead, this emerging network aims to map who is working on farmers’ seeds worldwide and to create common spaces and shared infrastructure for exchange, coordination, learning, and mobilisation.
Launching the Survey at the LLD Forum 2025
The next milestone will be the launch of a global survey, designed to identify and map the wide range of actors engaged in farmers’ seed systems and cultivated biodiversity around the world. More than just a data collection tool, the survey is a first step in building the foundations for a co-owned global map and shared infrastructure to support the long-term coordination across different movements and initiatives.
The survey will be launched at the Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum 2025, taking place in Luxembourg from 4–6 September 2025. As part of the Forum, we will host a hybrid workshop to present the survey, refine its dissemination strategy, and explore the next steps toward shared ways of working and the co-development of an ecosystem of collaboration.
Join Us: From Dialogue to Action
This is a unique moment to help shape the future of global collaboration on farmers’ seeds. Whether you are part of a network, an organisation working on seeds, a grassroots initiative, a seed-saving community, a research institution, or a policy platform, your perspective matters. We warmly invite you to join us in Luxembourg, or online, for the LLD Forum and hybrid workshop.
More information on registration, the programme, and participation options is available at:
https://liberatediversity.org/lld-forum-luxembourg-2025/
Welcome Foundation Alica and Semínkovna: New Members Strengthening ECLLD!
Exciting News: Welcoming New Members to the EC-LLD Family!
We’re thrilled to announce that the European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity is growing! Two inspiring new members have joined us following out Extraordinary Assembly in Antibes: Foundation Alica from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Semínkovna from the Czech Republic. With their commitment to seed diversity and community-based agroecology, they bring invaluable perspectives and experience to our network, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them.
Meet Foundation Alica
Foundation Alica, based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has long been an influential voice in the Balkan Seed Network. Founded to raise awareness of biodiversity’s crucial role in food security, they work actively to preserve agrobiodiversity and local knowledge. With initiatives ranging from education and community engagement to on-farm seed conservation, Alica has supported countless efforts to revitalize traditional practices and empower local farmers. Their membership in ECLLD is expected to foster deeper connections within the Balkan Seed Network and inspire new regional partnerships. We look forward to the collaborative opportunities that lie ahead!
Introducing Semínkovna
Semínkovna, from the Czech Republic, has a mission close to our hearts. As leaders of a growing network of seed libraries (Semínkovny) and promoters of seed sovereignty, they focus on educating the public about the importance of locally adapted, non-hybrid seeds. From workshops to educational programs for children and adults, Semínkovna’s goal is to foster a culture of self-sufficiency and sustainable food practices through the preservation of native plant varieties. By joining ECLLD, they seek to expand their capacities, share expertise, and contribute to the promotion of fair seed legislation. With their dedication to biodiversity, they’re a fantastic addition to our European network.
With Foundation Alica and Semínkovna joining us, we’re thrilled to expand the EC-LLD family. Together, we’ll strengthen our impact on European seed policies, support sustainable agricultural practices, and empower communities to preserve our shared biodiversity heritage. Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this journey together with our incredible new members!
For more updates and to learn about our new members, visit the EC-LLD website, our members
London Freedom Seed Bank open for seed donations
The London Freedom Seed Bank is open for donation of collected seeds. Seeds donated to the LFSB will be catalogued and made available to other growers and community growing spaces in London early next year.
Members of the Growers’ Network
There are three ways that you can share your seed with the bank this year:
- At the 9th November event (2-4PM)
LFSB’s seed cleaning machine will be available for seed that needs cleaning.
Address: 104, ACME Studios, 276 Oak Square, London SW9 9AW (entry phone 104) - By post or drop-off
Address: LFSB, 1b Loxton Road (opposite no. 4), London SE23 2ET
New growers
The London Freedom Seed Bank is a living seed bank for protecting and storing open-pollinated seed that has been grown and saved in London. Read more.
New growers that would like to contribute seed to the bank will need to
- sign up to the Growers’ Network;
- submit a seed donation form, including as much information as possible so that it can be passed on to other growers together with the seeds.
LiveSeeding at the Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum and International Farmers’ Gathering Sow your Resistance.
From October 3rd to 5th, Antibes hosted the latest edition of the Let’s Liberate Diversity (LLD) Forum, integrated into the International Gathering ‘Sow Your Resistance’. With 500 participants from across the globe, the event brought together farmers, researchers,...
London Freedom Seed Bank open for seed donations
The London Freedom Seed Bank is open for donation of collected seeds. Seeds donated to the LFSB will be catalogued and made available to other growers and community growing spaces in London early next year.
Members of the Growers’ Network
There are three ways that you can share your seed with the bank this year:
- At the 9th November event (2-4PM)
LFSB’s seed cleaning machine will be available for seed that needs cleaning.
Address: 104, ACME Studios, 276 Oak Square, London SW9 9AW (entry phone 104) - By post or drop-off
Address: LFSB, 1b Loxton Road (opposite no. 4), London SE23 2ET
New growers
The London Freedom Seed Bank is a living seed bank for protecting and storing open-pollinated seed that has been grown and saved in London. Read more.
New growers that would like to contribute seed to the bank will need to
- sign up to the Growers’ Network;
- submit a seed donation form, including as much information as possible so that it can be passed on to other growers together with the seeds.
LiveSeeding at the Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum and International Farmers’ Gathering Sow your Resistance.
From October 3rd to 5th, Antibes hosted the latest edition of the Let’s Liberate Diversity (LLD) Forum, integrated into the International Gathering ‘Sow Your Resistance’. With 500 participants from across the globe, the event brought together farmers, researchers,...
Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum, Antibes 2024: Strengthening Global Seed Networks
From October 3rd to 5th, Antibes was home to the Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum, which took place during the International Gathering ‘Sow Your Resistance’. With 500 participants from all over the world, this landmark event brought together diverse stakeholders...
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