Seed Conservation

Over the past 100 years, agriculture has grown into a practice utilizing fewer varieties of plants, increased numbers of inputs, and greater amounts of land. This evolution toward greater industrialization has resulted in a reduction in seed diversity and a consolidation of seed suppliers. Seed conservation ensures this contraction does not compromise the variety of seeds available for food, energy, medicine, shelter, and other uses. Conservation is carried out by a system of growers, scientists, engineers, and communities that save seeds, preserving them in their natural habitat and off-site in gene banks. It is the process of identifying and preserving the biological diversity of the world’s seeds for use in the near future and for generations to come. Seed conservation ensures food security and continued ...