Project objective

The project “Seeds of Growth: Strengthening Community Seed Banks and Sustainable Seed-Saving Practices in Europe” aims to professionalize seed-saving practices and enhance the role of Community Seed Banks (CSBs) as a tool to conserve, promote the sustainable use of locally adapted and diverse seeds within the European’s agricultural and food system. 

Expected Outcomes:

• Capacity Building: Equip seed librarians, CSB managers, farmers with knowledge & skills.
• Knowledge Exchange: Facilitate collaboration & peer learning across EU.
  
• Public Awareness: Highlight role of seed diversity in food sovereignty & climate resilience.
  
• Education Impact: Integrate seed-saving into curricula through partner institutions.

Seeds of Growth is about more than conserving seeds. By strengthening community seed banks, we protect biodiversity, empower farmers and citizens, and ensure that locally adapted seeds remain a living heritage for generations to come.

In a time of climate change and growing pressures on our food systems, this project affirms the vital role of community knowledge, collaboration, and seed diversity in building resilience and food sovereignty across Europe 

Project activities

The Seeds of Growth project brings together seed savers, farmers, and educators to strengthen the role of Community Seed Banks across Europe. Starting with a shared capacity gap analysis, we will identify the skills and resources that seed librarians, farmers, and seed banks most need to thrive. Building on this, we will create a digital “Seed Knowledge Hub” – an open, multilingual platform for training materials, best practices, and policy resources that can be used by communities, educators, and institutions long after the project ends.

Learning and exchange are at the heart of our approach. Through Community Seed Bank Labs, we will deliver training on governance, conservation techniques, and seed policy, while cross-country visits in the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, and Belgium will give participants hands-on experience of seed-saving practices in different contexts. National events and European forums will engage farmers, researchers, policymakers, and citizens, raising awareness of the importance of seed diversity for climate resilience and food sovereignty, and ensuring that the voices of community seed savers feed into European and international policy debates.

Work in progress: resource collection, CSB labs and Cross Visits

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