15th Let’s Liberate Diversity!
REGISTRATION ARE OPEN UNTIL 30 APRIL
The 15th edition of the LLD Forum will be held in Scandicci from May 23 to 25, 2026, in conjunction with the 5th edition of the 72 Hours of Biodiversity organized by Rete Semi Rurali, Italy.
5 th Let’s Cultivate Diversity!
REGISTRATION ARE ALSO OPEN!
The European Grain Festival 2026 in Denmark combines parallel sessions of baking workshops, cooking demos, tastings, field demonstrations, poster sessions and lectures. You will meet and network with experienced bakers, farmers, chefs, processors, breeders and researchers from all over Europe.
—If you aim to produce quality cereal and cereal based food, this is the place to be.
At the heart of the festival you will find a demonstration field displaying hundreds of diverse grain varieties from all over Europe.
USE IT or LOSE IT
The European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity! (ECLLD) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the dynamic management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
Our core belief is that the diversification of our food systems can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders involved in cultivated biodiversity.
The Coordination boasts a robust network of 22 members with a network of 170 national organizations operating across 21 European countries with a membership base exceeding 35,000.
In collaboration with approximately 15,000 farmers, we actively engage in the conservation and management of around 40,000 plant varieties.
Where we are
We want to bring diversity back in our food system!
Countries across all the Europan Region
Staff and volunteers
Organisations part of the network
Varietes maintend and managed by the network
Individual Members
Farmers and gardeners involved in dynamic management of cultivated biodiversity
What we do
As an influential platform, EC-LLD! serves as a unique space for facilitating the exchange of practices and information among farmers, seed savers, NGO members, and emerging small enterprises, fostering local actions on agrobiodiversity and promoting participatory dialogues.
Our proven expertise extends to our participation in projects funded by Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020. Furthermore, we have established successful collaborations with a diverse range of foundations and academic institutions.
Our work span across the 3 following areas
policy
Capacity building and knowledge sharing regarding agrobiodiversity, seed policies and legislastion.
policy
Capacity building and knowledge sharing regarding agrobiodiversity, seed policies and legislastion.
Communities seed banks
Training, support and management across Europe.
Communities seed banks
Training, support and management across Europe.
Communities
Facilitating peer to peer exchange of practices and information between different actors.
Communities
Facilitating peer to peer exchange of practices and information between different actors.
NEWS
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,...
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...
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
The Organic Advice Network
A new initiative was launched in the spring 2024 as part of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and aligned to its target of achieving 25% organic farmland by 2030. The project aims to address the urgent need for skilled advisors in organic farming by creating and...
European Citizens’ Initiative Forum for the Right to Food: what’s boiling in the pot?
In April 2023, the inaugural Democratic Forum in Geneva brought together global leaders, activists, and organizations to tackle the critical issues surrounding the right to food and food sovereignty. This landmark event culminated in the creation of the Geneva Right to Food Manifesto, garnering significant support from influential bodies such as the FAO, IFAD, and WHO, as well as endorsements from the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food and the Chairperson of the Committee for World Food Security. Let’s Liberate Diversity! was invited to present on the current state of agrobiodiversity, the active social movements on seeds, and the latest developments in EU seed reform.
Building on the success of the first Forum, the second Forum was be held in May 2024 with a focused mission: uniting stakeholders to craft a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) aimed at establishing a comprehensive right to food law. This initiative empowers European citizens to participate directly in the legislative process, proposing new laws to enshrine the right to food across Europe.
Day 1 of ECI Forum for the Right to Food – Géneve, Switzerland
The 2024 Forum, supported by international organizations and esteemed individuals, served as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and decisive action. By bringing together voices from across Europe, the Forum aimed to forge a collective path towards legislative change, aiming to make the right to food a reality for all.
Drawing inspiration from the first European Citizens’ Initiative on the right to water in 2013, the three-day Forum in May 2024 was organized by Mater Fondazione, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and other key partners. It elaborated on the documents submitted for the right to food, building upon the Geneva Right to Food Manifesto adopted in March 2023 and the collective work of European right to food experts.
The Forum benefited from the experience of The ECI Campaign and insights from initiators of other ECIs, including the right to water. Participants engaged in working groups addressing legal, advocacy, marketing, fundraising, operational, and ecosystem aspects to ensure the successful registration of the ECI and the launch of a dynamic campaign.
Soon, the finalized texts from the forum will be uploaded and prepared to kickstart the collection process aimed at gathering 1,000,000 signatures.
Give a check to the website of the ECI petition: https://www.goodfoodforall.eu/
Give a check to the program of the forum
Day 2 at the ECI Forum for the Right to Food
PGR management in farmers seed network in Europe and China
EC-LLD recently participated in an online event hosted by Pro Specie Rara, one of our members, to welcome a Chinese delegation at their headquarters in Switzerland. Our members Arche Noah and Reseau Semences Paysannes also attended the event This was a significant step in our ongoing efforts to strengthen international collaboration and exchange knowledge on biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
About the Delegation
The delegation comprised representatives from prominent Chinese organizations dedicated to agricultural sustainability and biodiversity including:
Farmers’ Seed Network (FSN), founded in 2013, focuses on participatory research on agrobiodiversity and natural resource management. FSN operates in over 40 rural communities across 14 provinces, promoting seed conservation, sustainable utilization, and community-based biodiversity management. Their initiatives include community seed banks, participatory crop improvement, and ecological plant breeding programs. They also facilitate collaborations between farmers and scientists to enhance seed systems and improve livelihoods. Recently, FSN has established three multi-stakeholder platforms to promote in-situ conservation of agrobiodiversity and launched projects in partnership with UNEP to co-promote ecosystem-based adaptation strategies. Find out more on their website.
Foodthink, established in 2017, is an advocacy organization addressing industrialization and environmental/social issues in agriculture. Foodthink offers insights into transformations in food production and consumption and runs initiatives such as Agroecology Internship Programs, Small-Grant Programs, and Stakeholder Forums. Their work includes documenting food systems changemakers and policy advocacy. Recently, Foodthink has blocked national regulations unfavorable to small-scale farmers and continues to support sustainable grassroots food and agricultural initiatives. Find out more on their website.
Chinese Farmers’ Seed Network
During the event, Dr. Yiching Song presented the extensive work of FSN. She highlighted their implementation of community-based biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural practices since 2000. Dr. Song detailed how FSN has established about 120 community seed banks in 11 provinces, promoting the conservation and sustainable use of local seed diversity.
Here is a video on their work with English subtitles:
The FSN China is planning to attend the 13th Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum! at the International Gathering “Sow Your Resistance” in Antibes from the 1st to the 5th of October. This will represent another important opportunity to strengthen the engagement of our community with other realities working across the globe and foster exchanges. If you haven’t registered yet for the LLD Forum and the International gathering, do it as soon as possible to secure your place: Register here.
EU Seed Policy Guide
A guide to European Seed Policy was developed in the context of the Erasmus+ Seeding Europe with Arche Noah and Kybele to raise the awareness and knowledge levels of actors engaged in the saving, development, and production of seeds in all species of cultivated plants.
As a didactic and stand-alone document explaining the European seed policy landscape and associated procedures, the Guide wishes to enable better-informed participation of the seed diversity movement in policy-making processes.
It is designed to raise the awareness and knowledge levels of actors engaged in the saving, development, and production of seeds in all species of cultivated plants. As a didactic and stand-alone document explaining the European seed policy landscape and associated procedures, the Guide wishes to enable better-informed participation of the seed diversity movement in policy-making processes.
As the Guide’s primary goal is to make sure that actors understand the legislative texts that impact their daily activities and be able to discuss their gaps and shortcomings with policy-makers, it will rely on the terminology used in these laws and policies, despite the differences that might exist with the ongoing collective work on the preferred terminology to describe the diversity of cultivated plants, its benef its, and the activities carried out around it.
To that end, it will first describe the European policy-making process itself, identifying the competent institutions and their respective roles (PART 1), before delving into existing policies and instruments that relate to seeds and their diversity (PART 2).
The guide is available in English, French, Italian and German.
Seed legislation, seed marketing, advocacy, seed systems, scientific publication, school and seminar, patents
Agrobiodiversity, seed savers, seed networks
Plant breeding, LLD Forum, news from members, news from other organizations
– SEEDS STORIES –
DO YOU WANT TO STAY UPDATED??
The ECLLD - News! informs about events, ongoing projects and insights regarding cultivated biodiversity at European level.
We are very pleased with your interest in our challenges, our diversity is our strength!
-COMMON CALENDAR –
On Schedule
EC-LLD! General Assembly (for EC-LLD! members only)Field Visits
- On Schedule
Official opening of the ForumField Visits
- On Schedule
WS1: Seeds, Biodiversity and the Right to Food: The Role of Municipal Food Policies
- On Schedule
WS 2: Seeds in Common: Genebanks, Breeding Innovation, and the Future of Democratic Seed Systems
- On Schedule
WS 3: On-farm agrobiodiversity in the Balkan region: from preservation to plant population development
Submit an Event
Legal Watch
The legal watch is realised by the French Farmers’ seeds network, Réseau Semences Paysannes. Informations are related to seeds marketing, intellectual property rights, genetic ressources.
It is presented in French.
on EU topics
- Plateforme ACLP, Communiqué du 27 février 2025 - L’ACLP participe à la table ronde sur la propriété intellectuelle et les semences au Salon international de l’agriculture de Paris 2025
- Convention sur la diversité biologique, Communiqué du 24 février 2025, Le Fonds de Cali est lancé en marge de la reprise de la session de la COP16
- OMPI, Communiqué du 5 décembre 2024 - Le Malawi est le premier pays à ratifier le Traité de l’OMPI sur la propriété intellectuelle, les ressources génétiques et les savoirs traditionnels associés
- Confédération suisse, Avis du Conseil fédéral sur le rapport de la CSEC-N relatif à la prolongation du moratoire sur le génie génétique, 29 janvier 2025
- ACLP, Communiqué du 5 février 2025 - L’ACLP organise une session d’information pour les décideurs politiques de l’UE
