Post on 30-May-2020
transcript
“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