Seeds4All

Seeds are the very first input to be taken into account in order to achieve the food and agricultural transition towards systems that would better respect the planet and the people.

To date, and following more than sixty years of restrictive legislation on the marketing of seeds at the European level, a very limited number of “high-yielding” plant varieties and breeding materials are allowed to be placed on the market.

This situation has led to a growing dependence of farmers, market and amateur gardeners on the seed industry, threatening food security while causing a radical erosion of crop biodiversity in our fields and on our plates.

Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum 2025 – Registration Now Open!

April 4, 2025 Adèle Pautrat

From September 4th to 6th, the European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity will host its 14th forum in Luxembourg. The Forum will focus on food sovereignty, seed autonomy, and agricultural resilience. Bringing together a dynamic network of farmers, seed savers, researchers, and activists, this international gathering will provide a platform for reflection on strategic opportunities and the exchange of ideas for collective action. […]

Portugal | Regenerative Heritage Grains – From Soil To Bread

April 2, 2025 Adèle Pautrat

Where to find heritage grains likely to thrive in a Portuguese climate and soil conditions? José da Camara Ruas tells us about his farming project in the Alentejo region in south Portugal, and his journey through diversification—from ancient grains and species mixtures to agroforestry and the introduction of animals. By Adèle Pautrat for the Seeds4All project. […]

Could a Rustic Cow Reshape Local French Food Systems?

March 19, 2025 ARC

At first glance, the Nantaise cow is a relic of the past. A small, sturdy breed once common in western France, it had all but disappeared by the late 20th century. Today, thanks to a growing network of farmers and chefs, the little cow is making a quiet but powerful comeback—proving that small-scale, local production can be a serious and viable alternative to industrial farming. […]

Luxembourg | A Good Gardener is a Teacher and Politician

September 24, 2024 Hannes Lorenzen

A master gardener and co-founder of the SEED association for the preservation and use of the region’s traditional seed varieties, Frank Adams has long been involved in the legislative battle waged by seed savers to gain recognition for the necessity and specific nature of their work. Hannes Lorenzen spoke to Frank during a horticultural walk in the gardens of the Château d’Ansembourg, Luxembourg. […]

Letter from Christiansen Farm – Breeding Time

August 26, 2024 Hannes Lorenzen

Time waits for nobody – but it seems to travel quickly or slowly depending on circumstance. Organic breeding techniques have a different relationship to time and place than genetic engineering methods; other aspects of being in a market economy and of using specialised machinery have their own relationships to time too. Here, Hannes Lorenzen talks with organic plant breeders in Christiansen organic farm, up in Schleswig-Holstein, in the far north of Germany and what they do and why they do it. […]

True Bread – the Restorative work of Farmers, Millers & Bakers in Hungary

July 4, 2024 ARC

The Hungarian Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG) reports on the renewed interest – and importance – of short and local distribution channels, which are better able to meet the growing demand for alternative grains in Europe. And introducing True Bread, produced by ESSRG, a beautiful documentary to tell the story of small-scale farmers, millers, and bakers in Hungary gathering to restore coherent collaboration. […]

A Leek for Change! The Belgian Trio on a Mission to Save Seeds

July 1, 2024 Adèle Pautrat

You’ve probably heard of people extending an olive branch – perhaps less common is offering up a leek. Seeds4All digs into why the leek symbolises the struggle for seed autonomy and why the cooperation project De Vroente, based in Sint-Lievens-Esse in the Flanders region, pours so much energy into this. Report by Adèle Pautrat. […]

Greece | The Sisters of the Seeds

June 14, 2024 Hannes Lorenzen

Welcome to the gardens of St John’s monastery in the village of Anatoli, Thessaly, Greece. We bring you a heartwarming story of sharing and sufficiency, in a letter from a visit to the farm by Hannes Lorenzen. […]

Târ y donc a tori – Lessons on the Subversive Nature of Transmission, from a Stubborn Welshman

May 3, 2024 Adèle Pautrat

Saving seeds and preserving genetic resources goes hand in hand with the crucial question of legacy. In March, Seeds4All visited Welsh farmer, grain lover and peer educator Gerald Miles. Adèle Pautrat reports. […]

Feeding Ourselves 2024 – A Food Revolution Starts With Seed!

April 16, 2024 Adèle Pautrat

Our Seeds4All project was back in Ireland in March to be part of Feeding Ourselves 2024. We are inheritors of a genetic commons that we have to protect. While working on the ground we need to be vigilant about what is happening at legal level – and work together. In partnership with the Irish Seed Savers Association, Seeds4All brought a European perspective to Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. Adèle Pautrat reports. […]

Seeds of Europe – Centering Small Producers’ Voices in Seed Law Reform

December 5, 2023 Mathieu Willard

On November 28, in collaboration with SEED Luxemburg and the Greens/EFA, the Seeds4All project took part in the organisation of a conference at the European Parliament on the future of seeds. Delving into the heart of the matter, the main aim of the event was to spotlight the specific voices and urgent demands of artisan seed producers in the context of the reform of the European legislative framework applicable to the sale and exchange of seeds. […]

GMOs & Seed Marketing – False Promise of a Toxic Package

November 28, 2023 Mathieu Willard

A carefully crafted narrative is framing GMOs as an essential ingredient in sustainable food systems. Could a solid reform of the seed marketing legislation provide a more effective and safer response to sustainability commitments? Analysis by Adèle Pautrat and Mathieu Willard. […]

Beer farmers – a Fair Deal for a Good Drink

September 20, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

Belgium is famous for beer. However, that beer is a fast brew with almost no ingredients from Belgium. – and its brewed within six weeks. Traditional Belgian beer like Lambic and Geuze needs up to three years to mature. Yes, that is a long time, but there is a good reason for slowing down a bit. Meet the folks doing just that. […]

Old Varieties and Short Production Circuits to Rebuild “Rural Solidarities”

September 7, 2023 Adèle Pautrat

In June 2023, we took advantage of the first fine summer days to visit a project run by the Réseau Meuse-Rhin-Moselle (RMRM), one of our close partners. Comprising around ten member associations, the RMRM aims at supporting and connecting initiatives that promote the preservation of old varieties and peasant breeding practices, in an area bounded by the three rivers that give it its name. […]

Seed Marketing Proposal Unveiled – First Key Takeaways

July 17, 2023 Mathieu Willard

The new proposal for Seed Marketing in the EU was presented by the Commission on July 5th. In 2013, a first attempt to revise this intricate legislation did not succeed in gaining parliamentary approval. So, what does the new proposal entail? And can we expect a different outcome this time around? […]