“DIVERSIFOOD-Community Seed Banks”

Rome - 21 Sept. 2017

AEGILOPS, Community Seed Bank

Greek experience

Kostas Koutis , Christina Vakali, Rallou Tsingou

AEGILOPS – Network for Biodiversity and

Ecology in Agriculture

www.aegilops.gr

AEGILOPS’ Focal Points

• Volos

• Thessaloniki

• Kastoria

• Kilkis

• Lesvos Island

• Kefalonia Island

• Athens

• Patra

Inform – raise awareness

Train on organic agriculture and

seed management

Seed Schools

Seed activities

• Seed conservation

• Community seed

banking

• Participatory evaluation

and selection of adapted

varieties for organic

agriculture

• Strengthening the local

seed supply systems

AEGILOPS’

Community seed banks and

collections• Lesvos (cereal, vegetable)

• Athens (aromatic, ornamental)

• Kefallonia (vegetable)

• Patra (cereal, vegetable)

• Kastoria (fruit, vines)

Volos (cereal, vegetable)

central collection (1500 accessions)

Research and organic breeding center (Lotus ORF)

Collection-Documentation

On farm conservation

AEGILOPS Farmers’ Group

Participatory organic breeding

data• Sources

• Origin, multiplication

• History of accessions

• Traditional knowledge, uses

• Description

• Agronomic

• Organoleptic

• Photos

No systematic database yet

databases

• Adding value and knowledge tool

• Provide information for potential user

• Record seed exchange

• Evaluation activities and science integration

• Members and maintainers management

problems

• Data entries

• Cost and time consuming

• Nature and status of material recorded – evolution

process (updating)

databases should be simple, friendly to the user

“dynamic” database

• Recording evolution of agrobiodiversity

• Participatory process

• Farmer’s involvement and bridges with science

Multifunctional role of databases

• Integration of farming conditions and practices

• Holistic approach

Local and niche market, alternative

food chain

• Local seed production

initiatives

• Creation of community

seed banks

• Participatory breeding

Conservation local

biodiversity

secure the local seed &

food supply system

function

For small production and limited area of cultivation of a landrace

designation of origin can be very often difficult .

In these cases additional enhancement and promotion of their

high quality products is needed so these products can reach the

markets (niche and organic) and farmers can obtain a revenue, that

makes them possible to continue cultivating and survive

enable

Enhancement of initiatives for local seed production and plant

nurseries based on private collections, local seed banks and results

of participatory organic breeding have already been installed and

done by AEGILOPS Network and will continue

AEGILOP’S New focus activities:

• Creation of diverse, quality food and products from heritage

varieties

• Encouragement farm producers, food processors, food distributors

and retail outlets to support the creation of niche markets

• Registration process, help newly registered varieties to be

maintained by individual farmers or a group of farmers so they

will be able to manage the seed as an 'asset' in their business plan.

And also help local seed supply system’s activities to be improved

(preservation, bulking up, seed production) and affect seed quality

Issues taking into account

• Conservation of perennial plants not only seeds

(olives, apples, vine etc)

• Record plants with interesting agronomic,

traditional, organoleptic etc. characteristics that

can be parent plant

• Local Community Seed Banks represent different

cultures even within the same region or even on

an island

Thank you for your attention