A variety of seeds including green, yellow, and brown lentils, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, fava beans, mung beans, white beans, and soybeans.

Credit: fcafotodigital via Getty Images

Seeds

Call to action:

Understand and support healthy practices for using, saving, and protecting seeds to ensure regenerative food systems and preserve biodiversity.

Humans have been saving seeds that present desirable traits, such as increased reliability and productivity, improved taste, or resilience to changing weather and environmental conditions, since at least the Pleistocene glacial era, over 30,000 years ago. This practice gave our hunter-gatherer ancestors the same benefits it provides our modern-day farmers and gardeners: security and resilience within the flux of countless local ecosystems. In contrast, modern farming practices continue to favor large-scale, one-size-fits-all solutions to food production, which increasingly rely on GMOs and chemical inputs. Working to cultivate ecologically responsible seed-saving and planting practices is not only a core aspect of regenerative ecological stewardship, but preserving heirloom seed varieties helps support and enhance traditional foodways, cultural legacies, and community sovereignty.

Nexus Rating System^Beta

Solutions to the climate emergency have unique social and environmental effects, positive and negative. To develop a broader understanding of the solutions in Nexus, we rate each solution on five criteria.

Sources for each Nexus are graded numerically (-3 through 10), and the average is displayed as a letter grade. You can explore each source in depth by clicking “view sources” below. For more information, see our Nexus Ratings page.

Seeds

9.83

9.50

9.91

0.00

Social Justice
Culture
Women
Biodiversity
Carbon

Reference	Social Justice	Culture	Women	Biodiversity	Carbon
The Struggles for Seed Sovereignty and Women’s Autonomy in Kenya	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0
Keeping the Struggles of Peasant Women Alive	9.0	9.0	10.0
How Indigenous Women Are Sharing Culture Through Seed Rematriation	10.0	10.0	10.0
History of The Seed Sovereignty Movement: Reclaiming the Seed		10.0	9.0	10.0
How Have Indigenous Women Contributed to the Food Sovereignty Movement?	9.0	10.0	10.0
Why indigenous seed-saving women are the stewards of biodiversity	9.0	10.0	10.0	10.0
Custodians Of Life: Meet The Ugandan Women Reviving Indigenous Seeds	9.0	10.0	9.0	10.0
Decolonizing seeds and protecting diversity in the seed sovereignty movement	9.0	10.0	10.0	10.0
Training women groups to build a self-reliant quality seed system in Eastern India	9.0		9.0
The importance of conserving heirloom seeds	9.0			10.0
“Seeds Have Stories”: Connecting Cultural Diversity and Biodiversity	9.0	10.0		10.0
Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields		10.0		10.0
Twenty Seed-Saving Initiatives Preserving Biodiversity Around the World				10.0
The Importance of Restoring Ancestral Seeds to Indigenous Communities	9.0	10.0	9.0	10.0
Saving Seeds, Saving Culture: A Case Study of a Heritage Seed Bank		10.0		10.0
	9.1	9.8	9.5	9.9	0.0

Action Items

Individuals

Learn why farmer- and community-led seed-saving practices are important. Seed saving is the process of collecting and storing seeds from one harvest for the next season. In the past, the process of seed saving was a necessity, especially for Indigenous communities that relied on certain crops for not only consumption but for cultural and social purposes, such as passing down creation stories, embedding knowledge of how to care for the land, or performing ceremonies. Seed Sovereignty is the right of a farmer to save, use, exchange, and sell their own seeds. The primary issue that seed sovereignty seeks to address is the ownership of seeds, as most seeds are becoming the intellectual property of a few corporate giants.

Seed Diversity. Preserving and using a wide variety of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds can increase genetic variation among crops. Seed diversity prioritizes traits like better flavor, higher nutritional content, and resilience to local conditions. This starkly contrasts the traits bred into the monoculture seeds of industrial agriculture, such as the ability to withstand shipping, uniform visual appearance, or long shelf life. Seed diversity is a crucial component of our ability to adapt our food systems to the effects of climate change. The world has lost approximately 75% of its seed diversity since 1900.
Corporate Control. Four companies control two-thirds of all seeds used globally. These seeds require heavy use of harmful pesticides, which those same companies produce. The corporate control of seeds can often trap farmers in a degenerative cycle of dependence, causing harm to the environment and putting farmers deeper into debt. It also diminishes seed diversity, which is vital for future food security (see Food Apartheid Nexus).
Climate Resilience. Seeds adapt to their environment over time in order to survive and thrive in changing ecologies. As less and less seed variety is used to grow our food, the genetic diversity needed to respond to local conditions is reduced. Seed vaults have been created in recognition of this danger, such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Finland. Their mission is to ensure the preservation of genetic diversity in seeds in order to deploy it in the transition away from seed monoculture.
Ecological Health. There are two major ways that traditional seed-saving and planting practices play a role in cultivating a healthy ecosystem: they encourage biodiversity and reduce the amount of chemicals released into the environment. Most GMO seeds are engineered to survive the direct application of pesticides. In the United States, around 90% of all corn, soy, and cotton are genetically modified and engineered to withstand the application of pesticides. These pesticides then run off into surrounding ecologies or come into direct contact with farmers. These seeds, and frequently the pesticides used with them, are patented and can only be purchased from the corporation that made them (see Agroecology Nexus).

Understand the cultural and spiritual significance of traditional seed-saving practices. Planting and saving a seed is not only a way to ensure food security and cultivate a healthy ecology. It is also a way to connect to our ancestors and keep the stories and teachings of cultural lineage alive. Seeds are encoded with genetic information and are repositories of cultural information and wisdom that can be accessed through time. Seed saving weaves communities together, connecting neighbors and empowering people to learn about where they live through direct experience, fostering a culture of self-sufficiency. Traditional and Indigenous cultures understand that people and plants have co-evolved through intimately relating to each other over vast timespans. Saving seeds is one way this relationship has evolved, keeping us connected and emotionally engaged with the life in our midst, fostering health and a sense of care for all beings. This respect for biodiversity contrasts with the corporate control of narrowly engineered seeds, leading to more and more homogeneity– a direct threat to ecological health and food security (see Plant Diversity Nexus).

Learn about the crucial role women play in seed saving and preserving agricultural biodiversity. In indigenous and traditional farming communities, women are often the primary custodians of seeds, responsible for selecting and storing them for future seasons. They play a key part in transmitting knowledge about cultivation practices to younger generations and are active in community seed exchanges. The intentional act of sharing seeds among indigenous communities is called seed rematriation. Learn more about the essential nature of women’s involvement in food systems (see Women and Food Nexus).

Support farmers and seed sovereignty initiatives. Many organizations work with farmers and communities to support their efforts toward seed sovereignty and local food security. Some examples include:

Seed Change works with many community organizations worldwide, supporting small-scale farmers in their fight for seed sovereignty, health, and social justice. Among other projects, they have worked with communities in Africa and Central America to address food scarcity and famine, not through food donations but by helping to provide seeds and education to rebuild resilient food networks.
The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security supports Canadian farmers in increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of the seeds they save, adapt, and breed. They partner with organizations like Seeds of Diversity to create educational programs for youth about seed diversity and raise awareness about the importance of seed saving.
Crop Trust has many programs that specifically focus on seed and crop diversity. Funded by the Norwegian government, the BOLD project works globally to solve climate change-related crop failures by increasing locally focused seed diversity. Seeds for Resilience is a Crop Trust initiative that supports the national seed gene banks of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia.
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa is the continent's largest civil society movement. AFSA's core purpose is to influence policies and promote African solutions for food sovereignty. Their program, Seed is Life, works toward resisting corporate takeover of African seed systems and building farmer-managed seed systems that aid food sovereignty and ecological health.

Grow a garden with heirloom seeds. Starting a garden is a wonderful way to enjoy fresh, chemical-free produce, but it is also a path toward reconnecting with nature and the wisdom of working with the elements. With a small garden, it is easy to avoid GMO seeds and purchase heirloom seeds that are open-pollinated, organically grown, and passed down for generations due to their attractive qualities. It also opens the possibility of saving your own seeds to plant in subsequent seasons or share with your neighbors. There are many educational courses to learn these skills, such as this one from Seed Save or this one with Will Bonsall from the School of Traditional Skills. It is an accessible way to engage with the dynamic and interconnected cycles of the natural world and broaden one's awareness of the web of life.

Groups

Farmers

Understand the benefits of saving seeds and using resilient seed systems. Farmers who are beholden to multinational corporations for their seed aren’t buying seed but are instead renting a one-time use of a combination of genes that they never have the rights to. This is related to the dominant global food system, where huge amounts of a single crop are grown as commodities for an industrial market. Farmers are the most important factor in the movement for food sovereignty, which holds that all people, from food producers and harvesters to consumers, have the right to reclaim their power in the food system by rebuilding relationships between people and the land, as well as between those who produce food and those who eat it. The World Farmers Organization has drafted a comprehensive guide for farmers on how to make the transition away from corporate commodity farming toward growing sustainable and regenerative food systems (see Regenerative Agriculture Nexus).

Connect with organizations that can help. There are many organizations that help farmers globally to ensure they have the resources to operate without needing to capitulate to large corporate control. These groups can help with funding, such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as providing the education needed to transition a farm toward a sustainable or even regenerative model. Here is a list of more organizations that can help:

HEAL Food Alliance is a coalition of 55 organizations representing 2 million farmers, scientists, advocates, and activists working to transform the global food system toward something regenerative and equitable. Their Platform for Real Food sets a clear vision for what a holistic vision for food sovereignty looks like.
The Agroecology Fund works in three main areas to support farmers and food systems: grants, advocacy, and education. Eighty percent of its donated funds go to grants for farmers and farming organizations. Since its inception, the fund has donated over $20 million to groups all over the world, with a focus on women and indigenous peoples.
FarmAid supports farmers in providing locally grown food to their communities. They have set up the Farm Aid Hotline as a resource for farmers to find help connecting to resources to help them resist corporate control and work to heal our food systems. They also work closely with Cultivemos, a network of farmers and farming communities focusing on mental health and stress assistance programs for farmers and their families.
Navdanya is an earth-centric, women-centric, and farmer-led movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity, founded by the internationally renowned seed and food sovereignty activist Dr. Vandana Shiva. Navdanya is a vast resource for farmers in India, with a seed bank, educational programs, and a comprehensive vision for the power that lies within the seed– from pure food and human empowerment to mitigating climate change.

Governance

Craft legislation that empowers farmers and communities and not just corporations. Governments have the power to shape how seed diversity is maintained and managed into the future. The Geneva Academy and the United Nations have outlined a comprehensive action plan in the Practical Manual for Right to Seeds in Europe to ensure that farmers have the legal and practical rights to safeguard seed sovereignty. The Organic Seed Alliance has created a platform that outlines policies and legislation to help farmers and the environment. Here are some recommended actions:

Break up corporate seed monopolies. Bayer (including Monsanto), BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and ChemChina-Syngenta make up what is considered to be the global seed monopoly and control over half the global seed market. This has had a disproportionately negative effect on small farmers globally.
Ensure public research serves the common good. Plant breeding has increasingly become the domain of private for-profit companies. Governments can mitigate this risk by funding publicly-led seed and plant breeding initiatives that are open-source and organic.
Addressing GMO seed contamination. Farmers growing organic (non-modified) seeds often have their stock contaminated by GMO seeds from nearby fields. Governments need to take measures to establish strict monitoring and containment protocols and place the burden of responsibility on GMO crop growers.
Expanding public seed collections. The USDA recently remarked that private seed breeding under patent is harming small farmers. In a step backward, Canada has recently proposed legislation that would force farmers to pay royalties to seed companies and ban farmers from saving hybrid seed. This impinges upon their freedom and makes it impossible for them to select seeds adapted to local conditions and enhance food security. Government-funded, equitable plant breeding programs are essential to keeping our food systems resilient.

Create governmental departments to assist farmers in using ecologically friendly seed practices. Norway has created and fully funds the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihood, and Development program to ensure the conservation and use of crop diversity. Facing pressure from corporations hawking GMO seeds, Ghana has created the Ghanaian National Genebank. The Genebank supports seed diversity, helps small farmers maintain their sovereignty, and ensures Ghana's food security. The Farmer Seed Liaison initiative from the USDA elevates the voices of farmers, small- and mid-sized seed companies, and independent plant breeders in policy and decision-making processes to improve competition and choice in the seed marketplace.

Bad Actors

Bayer (Monsanto). Monsanto, who began making and selling DDT and Agent Orange to the US military, is notoriously responsible for one of the most high-profile and harmful pesticides that destroy human and animal health, poison waterways, and threaten ecosystems: Glyphosate. They went to great lengths to cover up the harmful effects, even when they knew the truth about its carcinogenic properties, and continued selling the product. They spend millions lobbying countries all over the world, such as South Africa, to draft legislation that allows them to monopolize seed sales. They command 60% of global revenue in seed and agrochemicals, and their GMO seeds and pesticides are present in 77% of all acres of cotton, 82% of all acres of corn, and 95% of all acres of soybeans in the US.

BASF. BASF is the largest chemical producer in the world. Executives from Monsanto and BASF, who worked with Monsanto to launch their dicamba weed killers, knew they would cause large-scale damage to fields across the United States but decided to sell them anyway, without disclosing what they knew, in a bid to corner the soybean and cotton markets. It has been shown that BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, and Corteva have taken advantage of looser regulations in developing countries to sell pesticides that have been banned in Europe or the US. They have also lobbied in Europe to relax safety rules on their GMO seeds, even though it means increased pesticide use.

Corteva. Corteva is a rebrand of the agricultural department resulting from a merger between Dow Chemical and Dupont, two of the largest chemical manufacturers in the world. They produced seeds coated with pesticides such as chlorpyrifos, which has since been discontinued due to its proven harmful effects on children. Corteva has moved to patent not just the genetically edited seeds they create but also the genetic information that may find its way into other seeds through cross-germination.

Chem-China Syngenta. ChemChina, China's largest chemical manufacturing company, recently bought Syngenta, a Swiss company specializing in GMO seeds and pesticides. This consolidation is a sign that China is now choosing to embrace GMO seeds and their attendant pesticides to feed the world's second-largest country by population. This transfers the control of patents to China and brings GMO seeds to a rural population that was not previously using them.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation’s flagship agricultural program, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA, which recently rebranded to remove the term “green revolution” from its name), works to transition farmers away from traditional seeds and crops to patented seeds fossil-fuel based fertilizers and other inputs to grow commodity crops for the global market. Much of the six billion dollars spent has been given to corporations and research centers outside of Africa to develop technologies, petrochemical pesticides, and GMO seeds. Moving farmers away from traditional farming wisdom for self-sufficiency toward producing commodities to increase income has come under scrutiny from those whose lives are most affected.

Key Players

Organizations

The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (Global) is a thinktank and expert group guiding action for sustainable food systems.

The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security (Canada) creates and supports seed systems that promote agroecology and food sovereignty and are resilient in the face of climate change.

Seed System (U.S.) is a collaboration among diverse national and international organizations aiming to improve seed security in high-stress and vulnerable areas across the world.

Seed Sovereignty at the Gaia Foundation (UK) is sowing a biodiverse, ecologically sustainable and resilient seed system.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD (Global) envisions a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable rural communities where people live free from poverty and hunger.

The Crop Trust (Germany) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and making crop diversity available for use globally, forever and for the benefit of everyone.

The Organic Seed Alliance (U.S.) teaches farmers to save, grow, and improve seed and advocating for policies that support their success.

Navdanya (India) is an earth centric, women centric and farmer-led movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity.

World Farmers Organization (Italy) brings together national farmers’ organizations and agricultural cooperatives from all over the world.

Seed Innovation and Protection Alliance (U.S.) promotes the understanding and value of seed innovations as well as facilitates and promotes the respect of intellectual property rights for the benefit of members, growers, industry associates, consumers, and the agricultural community.