Let’s Liberate Diversity! News
Moving toward 100% organic seed use in German organic agriculture
A new academic paper was published in journal Organic Farming and is available as Open Access online: Trends in use of crop cultivars from organic and conventional seed multiplication: Moving toward 100% organic seed use in German organic agriculture. ABSTRACT In...
Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture
This month marked the end of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture, an initiative first announced by President of the EU Commission Von der Leyen at her State of the Union address last year and that saw stakeholders in Europe engaged in discussions...
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 teaching purposes, as well as agricultural, environmentaland citizen stakeholders.
Natural regulation of pest populations through agrobiodiversity is at the heart of this publication, which considers managing diversity in the landscape and the fields, including by increasing inter- and intraspecific diversity. It also makes reference to policy, both the EU CAP and the French National Strategic Plan.
CREDIT: This document came to our attention in the June 2024 Issue of the FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub Digest, which we have previously written about
NOW ONLINE: Liveseeding Practical Guide Seed Drying & Storage
The Practical Guide for drying and storing vegetable seeds in organic small-scale and on-farm seed production is now available online in French and English.
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of LiveSeeding latest publication on seed quality: The Practical Guide for Drying and Storing Vegetable Seeds in Organic Small-Scale and On-Farm Seed Production, now available online in both French and English!
Developed within the context of the LiveSeeding project, this guide is a comprehensive resource for anyone involved in seed production.
Seed quality is paramount for successful crop emergence and establishment. The germination rate and vigor of seeds directly impact their ability to withstand environmental stresses and ultimately determine the crop’s performance. However, during storage, seeds naturally age and their quality diminishes due to oxidation. This deterioration process is influenced by factors such as moisture level, oxygen presence, and temperature.
This guide addresses these crucial aspects, offering practical solutions for on-farm drying and storage that save both time and resources. It provides insights on efficient drying methods, maintaining seed dryness during storage, and safeguarding against oxygen exposure.
While it’s well-known that seeds should be properly dried and stored in optimal conditions, practical challenges often hinder these precautions. Whether due to time constraints, resource limitations, or organizational difficulties, many seed producers struggle to implement best practices.
Through real-life examples, case studies, and actionable guidance tailored to specific context and objectives, the practical guide aims to alleviate these challenges empowering small-scale seed enterprises and on-farm producers to overcome obstacles and optimize their seed drying and storage processes.
EP Seeds Marketing Plenary vote – Arche Noah analysis from Seed diverstiy perspective
We are pleased to share with you a comprehensive analysis prepared by our member Arche Noah on the recent European Parliament (EP) plenary vote from a seed diversity perspective.
The document delves into crucial topics such as scope, definitions, rules for conservation organizations, and the exchange of Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) between farmers. Additionally, it discusses conservation varieties, Organic and Heirloom Material ((O)HM), obligations of professional operators, and governance. While not exhaustive, we believe it offers a valuable overview of the EP’s stance on these critical matters.
Furthermore, Arche Noah invite you to a lunchtime webinar where Fulya Batur will present the primary outcomes of the EP vote. This 1.5-hour webinar will elucidate the main changes proposed to the Commission’s seed marketing proposal by the European Parliament, focusing particularly on aspects pertinent to organizations and individuals engaged in agrobiodiversity conservation. Attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and gain insights into leveraging the EP’s position for advocacy efforts in the council. The webinar is organized by Arche Noah, with the generous support of the Software AG Stiftung.
Webinar Details:
- Date: May 23, 2024
- Time: 12:00 – 13:30 PM Brussels
- Topic: ARCHE NOAH SAGST Webinar EU Seeds Marketing EP Plenary Results
Registration Link: Register here for the webinar
Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing further details on how to join the webinar.
Additionally, for those interested, Arche Noah compiled some media reactions that shed light on how various stakeholders, including Euroseeds and others, are responding to the provisions aimed at promoting seed diversity:
- Seed World: Why Does Europe Struggle to Get a New Seed Law That Still Works for Breeders and Farmers?
- Euractiv: Parliament wants to ease seed marketing rules for conservation efforts
- AgroPages: KWS, Euroseeds and IFOAM’s reactions on European Parliament’s Plant Reproductive Material legislation vote
FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub Digest
The FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub is a point of reference for all involved in agroecology. The website offers agroecology tools such as a database of knowledge and a reference database of legal frameworks and policies concerning agrecology. In addition, email groups under the banner Family Farming & Agroecology Community of Practice facilitate knowledge sharing and discussion.
All this precious insights into the agroecological world you can now receive conveniently packed in a monthly Digest fto your mailbox. Below, you can scroll through, or download, the April 2024 issue of the Digest as a taster. It includes Germinate! a new exclusive column sharing the perspectives, insights and innovations of leading agroecology and food systems researchers and practitioners. If you want to suscribe, contact the Knowledge Hub.
Table of content
- InFocus: Farmers’ Protest Around Europe
- Germinate!
- Innovation
- Voices from the Ground
- From the Research World
- Multimedia
- Policy Briefs & Studies
- Upcoming Events
- Behind the Scenes
Opinion: patents and GMOs in organic production
In their December 2023 newsletter, Agrologica (Danish organic cereal breeder) published an opinion piece on the topic of patents and GMOs in organic production.
The article is interesting with reference to the current EU regulation debates, as it goes in some details about the difference between plant variety protection and patents and how suchdifferent regulations have shaped different markets, as well as describing a range of genetic breeding techniques, including those that are grouped under the name CRISPR-CAS and, how they may or may not fit in with organic breeding.
Read the newsletter.
Organic Heterogeneous Material: new operators’ tutorial
A new tool has become available on the Organic Farm Knowledge portal produced by Seed4all and Artemisia, which explains the new Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM) regulations, and indicates how new operators can enter this new and important market to support agrobiodiversity.
OHM is a new category of seeds which can be used in organic farming in the EU, but also for home gardening and of course adopted in conventional farming if desired.
Because OHM is not a variety, or a mix of varieties, Plants Breeders’ Rights (PBR) do not apply to OHM. The new regime for OHM also derogates from the existing EU legislation on the marketing of seeds; therefore, operators do not need to be registered to sell seeds and they can sell OHM belonging to any of the categories covered in the 11 sectoral directives on seed marketing,
Watch the video for all the details:
Taking action together for a better EU Seed Law
Arche Noah has released the recordings of the workshop Taking action together for a better Seed Law from last November, together with the presentation slides, which contain a useful timeline for action (see post picture). Arche Noah’s advocacy package also contains a position paper on the regulation proposal, highlighting the following issues which impact agrobiodiversity and farmers’ rights:
- The proposal endangers the remaining diversity of cultivated plants
- It creates problems for the conservation of fruit diversity
- It fails in its attempt to make diverse varieties more widely available by creating new regulatory costs
- It bans imports of seeds from gene banks and of conservation and amateur varieties
- It fails to prevent the misappropriation of PRM circulated in conservation networks or farmer seed systems
- It undermines the recently adopted EU Organic Regulation
- Besides, it fails to implement farmers‘ right to seed
- It allows firms to make false sustainability claims
- It also fails to provide sufficient transparency for farmers and gardeners on the seeds they buy
May 2026
EC-LLD! General Assembly (for EC-LLD! members only)
Official opening of the Forum
WS1: Seeds, Biodiversity and the Right to Food: The Role of Municipal Food Policies
WS 2: Seeds in Common: Genebanks, Breeding Innovation, and the Future of Democratic Seed Systems
WS 3: On-farm agrobiodiversity in the Balkan region: from preservation to plant population development
WS 4: Enhancing cultivated biodiversity through local food policies
WS 5: EU Seed Law Reform – What Does It Mean for Fields and Plates, and How Can We Safeguard Seed Diversity?
WS 6: Farmers’ Seed Systems in the Region of Central Asia and Eastern Europe: Experience, Challenges and Future Directions
WS 7: Agroecology Living Labs – Crossfertilization for promoting agrobiodiversity
WS 8: NGTs and Patents: How Can We Grow Without Them? Updates on Political Debates and Cooperation Amongst Organic Breeders and Growers
WS 9: Affectionate Alliances and Exploratory Mindsets: Building a Global Coalition of Agroecological Seed Networks for Evolutionary Radical Futures
Tasting 1: Crop Wild Relatives – COUSIN Project
Video
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