DIVERSIFOOD booklet #4
This DIVERSIFOOD booklet presents policy recommendations to promote the sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) in Europe. It argues for a shift from a narrow conservation paradigm toward Community Agrobiodiversity Management (CAM), which places farming communities and social governance at the centre of agrobiodiversity use and innovation. Key recommendations include promoting diverse and sustainable seed systems that integrate formal and informal actors; supporting and scaling up Community Seed Banks (CSBs) based on a European survey and workshops; establishing institutionalised national platforms for PGRFA that bring together public authorities, civil society and seed actors; and harmonising seed marketing laws and national implementations to create space for diversity-friendly approaches. The booklet summarises project findings (including mapping of nearly 80 CSBs), legal and institutional barriers, examples of national solutions, and calls for improved communication, funding and meaningful civil society participation in EU and national seed policy processes.
Key topics: community seed banks, seed law, agrobiodiversity, PGRFA, national platforms, seed policy, community agrobiodiversity management
