WHY
should everyone
start to save seeds ?
Seed
Saving is holistic knowledge and a vital act
of
personal, social and ecological empowerment
On
a personal level Seed Saving is ...
- Fun & Easy (start now with ripe fruits )
- Re-connecting to nature (intensively !)
- Entrance to and wholing of gardening ( The lost (p)art of the plant life cycle )
- Connecting Local Communities ( Exchange is key !)
- Saving money
- Personally Empowering
...but
there are more important reasons to save seeds, than our pesonal
benefits:
- Being the change we want to see
We
are loosing agricultural biodiversity at a shocking rate - and seed
saving can help
- 75% of agricultural crop diversity is estimated to have been lost during the 20th century;
- Currently we loose 1-2% of varieties each year, according to UN Food and Agricultural Organization.
And
we can't rely on seed companies to maintain the remaining varieties.
A
few organic seed sellers who are committed to diversity exist, but
most seed companies (have to) react to market demands and are likely
to drop varieties over time.
In
Europe diversity has even been reduced to an official list, seeds
from all other varieties may not be sold.
It
is seriously up to each of us, united.
Saving
seeds of seldom varieties, active seed exchange, joy in cultivating
„new old“ seldom varieties and engagement for strong community
seed libraries or other seed stewarding projects is a vital act
against the rapid loss of biodiversity.
Seed
saving and diversity are foundational for developing sustainable and
resilient locally based food systems.
We
risk to loose more than cultural heritage, it is effectively
dangerous to maintain a human food system, that is based on only a
few main crops – any necessary adaption to changing circumstances
requires diversity.
Even beyond
resilience, all truly sustainable local food systems will actively
cultivate and improve* regional varieties & explore
undervalued crops. (*See May and June calendar sheets)
And
because of their linchpin benefits, they can.
Inform
yourself about emerging local cooperatives around you and
food-related social engagement for a healthier future for all.
More
hashtags: #permaculture #communitygardens #cooperative #local #slowfood #transitiontowns #ediblecities #resilience
Seed
Saving is the foundation for re-establishing Seed and Food Sovereignty
Seed
Sovereignty describes the human right to save seeds and decide which
plants to grow and save from. To prohibit small sellers to sell seeds
from seldom varieties, a regulative threat that doomed over Europe in 2013, is a threat to Seed Soverignty.
Together
with Seed Sovereignty, we are loosing Food Sovereignty - the human
right to define our own food system: The production circumstances,
kind and quality of our food;
As
of today, the largest 10 seed sellers control 74% of the global seed
market.
(Source: globalagriculture.org )
(Source: globalagriculture.org )
The
largest of them, Monsanto, stands for all of them together in public
perception.
In
essence the linked article tells us, that if we want to prevent a future
dominated by GMO seeds and massive doses of pesticides & other
chemicals, we should rather become active in our own gardens, too.
As regular consumers we can change the market to focus on fair and sustainably produced organic food & diversity
by cultivating the new habit to buy from local farms we trust in.
We
have reason to be worried, even more so if we learn how large seed
sellers like Monsanto proceed, especially regarding food safety and
the devastating exploitation of farmers in poor countries.
So
for a start, the
tiny act of seed saving done by MANY is
a powerful proactive statement and action
against large scale agriculture's exploitation of nature and people, loss of
agricultural biodiversity, GMO food, chemichals for food production
and patenting the commons.
But you will quickly be able to step beyond the worrying facts that you become aware of here - you can act. Ad it's even fun & fulfilling.
Despite the sad circumstances, you won't believe your eyes if you dive deep into seed saving and permaculture, because you will finally realize that it is true that there is, could be – or would have been, if we stay passive - potentially true abundance for all.
Post updated in September 2014
