By Adèle Pautrat and Hannes Lorenzen
From September 4th to 6th, the European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity will host its 14th forum at the Agricultural Technical High School of Luxembourg. The event will be co-organised by SEED Luxembourg, LUGA, and the European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity!, with support from Seeds4All, Live Seeding, the Salvia Foundation, and the Oeuvre Nationale. As in 2023, when the event was held in Dublin, Ireland, ARC2020 has been appointed media partner.
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. The Forum will focus on food sovereignty, seed autonomy, and agricultural resilience—both as key strategic concepts and in practical terms—aiming to strengthen cooperation at the local level and across the broader Europe.
Click here to register for the Forum
Crises as Opportunities
In times of multiple crises, the ambition of liberating diversity is quite a challenge. However, it can also be seen as an opportunity to address rapid changes and to adapt common action within a new political and socio-economical landscape.
In the wake of last year’s farmers’ protests and growing pressure from the far right, the EU is scaling back its green goals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and may also significantly cut financial support for farmers in the coming years.
The political focus of the EU and its member states will increasingly centre on investments in military security and economic competitiveness. In this context, measures to mitigate climate change, prevent further biodiversity loss, and protect natural resources are likely to be pushed to the sidelines.
It is important to analyse this shifting political environment, including the opportunities it may present. At the local level this new era could open up new fields for creative action and the development of new socio-economic structures.
While some farmers may continue to invest in agro-industrial growth, others will need to explore alternative strategies and projects for survival. They will have to diversify production and markets at the local or regional level, seeking allies for collaboration in advancing agro-ecological practices and creating socio-economic value within their immediate or broader communities.
Reloading the Concepts of Food Sovereignty, Seed Autonomy and Rural Resilience
How will Europe feed its population in the future? This critical question remains wide open and demands strong stances, especially as current assessments are alarming and the potential repercussions of ongoing reforms could be profound and far-reaching.
The concepts of food sovereignty, seed autonomy, and rural resilience have emerged from peasant struggles, seed savers, and rural development movements. However they have been co-opted and devalued in many ways.
The seed and food sovereignty movements must clarify the socio-economic and socio-ecological significance of these core concepts within the new political and economic landscape of local and regional farming and food systems.
Liberating diversity means recognising the unique conditions and needs of each farming system and territory, ensuring access to seeds and their reproducible properties, and committing to the ongoing adaptation of species and varieties to support the necessary transitions.
The European Coordination Let’s Liberate Diversity! and its 170 members have been at the forefront of this movement for the past 20 years, bringing together a growing community of diverse stakeholders through their annual forums.
Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum: an Opportunity to Build Momentum
The Let’s Liberate Diversity! (LLD) Forum is a gathering of farmers, seed savers, researchers, policymakers, and seed-food activists committed to the dynamic management of cultivated biodiversity. The first edition of the Forum took place in 2005 in Poitiers, France, bringing together diverse voices to discuss and strengthen community-led seed systems.
Over the past 20 years, the fora have evolved into pivotal European gatherings hosted by different national seed networks, each enriching the movement with new perspectives, and strategies for seed autonomy and sovereignty. Beyond intellectual exchanges and workshops, they provided ample opportunities for networking, collaboration, and relationship building, amplifying local struggles and fostering transnational solidarity.
With an average of 150 participants from 30 countries annually, the LLD Forum now fosters a vibrant and diverse community. The 2024 special edition, hosted alongside the International Farmers’ Gathering in France, extended this reach to 450 participants from over 60 countries across five continents, reinforcing the Forum’s role as a global platform.
Each gathering blends workshops and field visits with practical knowledge and seed exchange, political and strategic reflection and preparation of common action. But as important are the moments of sharing good food, enjoying the cultural and professional diversity of participants and the celebration of having joined a vibrant movement. The LLD Forum is not just an event; it is an ongoing process that connects grassroots movements, promotes European sense of belonging, and empowers communities to shape resilient, biodiverse food systems for the future.
Towards a Common Message on Seed and Food Diversity
Rich in the diversity of its members, partners, contributors, and attendees, the Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum is, above all, a unique platform that fosters the continuous exchange of ideas and the co-creation of knowledge.
In 2025, these voices will unite around key messages echoing current legislative developments:
- Small-scale operators are the agrobiodiversity keepers: As part of the current reform of the EU PRM legislation, it is crucial to secure ambitious exceptions from the rules of seed marketing for those involved in the dynamic management of cultivated diversity. Their efforts go beyond mere conservation, since on-farm and in-garden seed selection and multiplication foster ongoing, adaptive processes to a changing environment.
- Impact of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in seed production and marketing: The EU is about to deregulate its current GMO legislation. By removing safety checks, easing labeling requirements, and permitting the patenting of seeds produced using New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), the agricultural sector and food production will become even more vulnerable to the agro-industrial model. This will likely lead to further concentration of seed companies and increased risks to ecosystems.
- Scaling up seed alternatives: To move beyond the niche, we must encourage professional operators to use, multiply and promote seeds that respond to their specific needs. This challenge involves in particular defending farmers’ autonomy over seed selection and propagation, while supporting the development of micro-filières (small-scale, local supply chains) that strengthen regional food sovereignty and diversity.
Join the Moment! Essential Event Information
The 14th edition of the Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum is just around the corner, and we warmly invite you to take part in its development. Here’s some initial information to plan your involvement:
Register Now!—Fill out the registration form today. Be part of this important gathering for change and collaboration!
Propose a Workshop—Have an idea or expertise to share? The forum welcomes workshop proposals. This is your opportunity to lead a session and contribute to the movement with your knowledge and insights.
Spread the Word—Help us amplify the forum’s impact by sharing information within your network. Encourage your community to join, support, and engage in this vital conversation for agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty.
Explore the Program—Be sure to take a look at the detailed program to plan your participation. With a variety of sessions, workshops, and discussions, there’s something for everyone!
Book Your Accommodation—Don’t forget to reserve your hotel early to ensure a smooth and comfortable stay. Make sure your accommodation is sorted so you can focus on the forum itself.
Click here to register for the 14th Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum
Click here for the latest info on the Forum, including the provisional programme
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