IFOAM Seeds Platform Joins as a Regeneration International Partner

Seed Sovereignty Now and Forever:

The IFOAM Seeds Platform has partnered with Regeneration International to scale up a global movement toward seed sovereignty. Seeds are a critical component of truly regenerative systems. By joining forces, we shall be able to reach a vast network of people to bring a shift in benefit sharing of one of humanity’s most fundamental resources.

The genetic diversity of plants, animals, and other organisms human civilization has used over millennia for food and non-food purposes is vital to our well-being – but our biological heritage is at risk. Consolidation of seed sources under fewer and fewer large companies threatens the diversity of available varieties on the market and goes in the opposite direction to sustainability, fairness, and innovation. Utility patents on varieties limit the ability of breeders and farmers to save and improve varieties through their efforts. The disruptively rapid development of new GMOs (e.g., gene-edited varieties) without adequate risk assessment, safety controls, or traceability threatens the purity of stocks and risks genetic pollution. False or unproven promises of the benefits of gene editing and other new genomic techniques threaten to dupe people into making uninformed choices and accepting potentially unsafe varieties.In response to these challenges, the IFOAM Seeds Platform has conceived a strategy to coordinate efforts to co-create a true alternative to the current dominant paradigm of multinational consolidation of genetic resources and wealth with the corresponding loss of biodiversity. We aim to build a distributed, diversified alternative that puts power and responsibility in many people’s hands, increases quality and diversity through safe and appropriate techniques, and shares benefits more equitably.

This is a shared responsibility. We need to keep seed and breed varieties in the commons and in farmers’ hands. We must keep suitable genetic material available to breeders so that they can continue to develop high-quality varieties for use in organic and truly regenerative and socially equitable systems. We need to enable more breeders and farmers to revive, expand, and improve the base of available genetic resources so that we continue to scale up improvements in production. We need to engage the entire value chain to support all stakeholders to act interdependently toward these objectives.

The IFOAM Seeds Platform strategy includes four interactive work areas:

●     Expanding a Global Network of like-minded parties who can exchange ideas, unify messages, and collaborate using common communications platforms. All like-minded parties are invited to participate regardless of their official status or position regarding the term “organic.” The main criterion is a commitment to the Principles of Organic Agriculture.
●     Convening Policy Advocacy efforts, related broad-scale messaging and sector mobilization to: (i) regulate and control the use of GMOs and protect and facilitate the thriving of the organic sector; and (ii) enable the development/breeding and market availability of greater diversity and quantity of high-quality organic seeds.
●     Building a Research, Learning & Succession channel that: (i) connects researchers, experienced breeders, and new and aspiring breeders and entrepreneurs through internships and mentorship programs to assure that the current and next generation can grow and thrive; (ii) offers training for certification bodies, businesses, and governments in risk assessment, segregation and traceability, and detection methods.
●     Partnering in a Common Market Platform where breeders, seed producers, seed exchange networks, seed companies, farmers, farmers’ organizations, food processors, traders, brands, and retailers can work interdependently to improve organically compatible varieties’ diversity, quality, and quantity.

The IFOAM Seeds Platform is the only worldwide network on seeds. It is uniquely positioned to convene stakeholders globally to learn from each other and collaborate on common challenges; it is not a parallel or competing structure to existing organizations and networks. We invite more people to participate! For more information and to get involved, please click here.