Seed: the beginning and the end

Transcription

1 Seed: the beginning and the end Lawrence Woodward and Hans Steenbergen. Whole Organic Plus and the Seed Co-Operative The UK struggles to produce 20% of the organic open pollinated vegetable seed that we need for a resilient food system. In Europe several small seed companies have adopted a successful model to meet this challenge, now producing new varieties and top quality organic seed that is tested and ideally suited to organic systems. This session will examine what has made these European seed companies so successful and look at how, through the Seed Co-operative, UK farmers and growers can replicate their model and their success.

2 The Bingenheim seed initiative - organic seeds and development of bio-dynamic / organic varieties for organic vegetable production Gebhard Rossmanith, CEO Bingenheimer Saatgut AG

3 Own production of farmers: vegetables: less than1% cereals: maybe 50 % From where do seeds come from for Organic Agriculture in Central Europe? other plants (e.g. fodder plants) without relevance normal case in vegetable production: to buy seeds from seed companies. (appraisal values) Seeds are defined and mentioned as working material, not as the most essential part of the plant. And: today there is an increasing distance to seeds caused by leaving the plant nursery to specialised enterprises. Seeds are running out of consciousness!

4 The European legislation: seeds are important due to EU-regulation of Organic Agriculture: organic seeds have to be used! when available But: in case of many crops general derogations are possible to use conventional seeds in the last years the supply and the use of organic seeds has increased, supported by databases and a raising awareness in that topic (e.g. OrganicXseeds) But: most seeds used in Organic Agriculture come from varieties derived from conventional breeding. Organic Agriculture needs urgently alternatives, not only seeds but also varieties!

5 Seeds and breeds: conventional and organic Basic material (wild plant / existing varieties) The consequence: conventional breeding organic breeding conventional variety organic variety maintaining under conventional conditions maintaining under organic conditions multiplication under conventional conditions conventional seeds EU-regulation for organic seeds multiplication under organic conditions organic seeds

6 Big trap of the conventional seed market Concentration of the seed market Chem China

7 The Initiative-Circle network of biodynamic and organic market gardeners to keep and improve independence on seeds for the organic sector

8 The Initiative-Circle : Reasons for building up a network is intended to be an answer of the organic movement to increasing dependency of the organic sector on conventional seed companies and their varieties, developed under and for conventional conditions increasing use of biotechnology in conventional vegetable breeding increasing use of hybrids in horticulture and organic farming increasing deficit of food quality in conventionally bred varieties increasing loss of biodiversity in the agricultural systems the minor offer of organic seeds from the conventional seed companies

9 The Initiative-Circle : network of biodynamic and organic vegetable seeds created in 1984 by biodynamic market gardeners and farmers Guiding principles: 1) biodynamic / organic agriculture should be based on organic seeds and on biodynamic / organic bred varieties 2) biodynamic seeds and biodynamic bred varieties should reach market standards 3) varieties must remain our common cultural heritage

10 The Initiative-Circle = Network for biodynamic and organic seeds (vegetables, herbs and flowers) and plant breeding The partners 1) Seed producers biodynamic and organic seeds 2) Breeders associations 3) Seed company biodynamic bred varieties biodynamic and organic seeds organic bred varieties International cooperation with other biodynamic and organic seed initiatives e.g.: REINSAAT

11 Egypt The seed producers about 80 farmers and market gardeners Denmark Netherlands Germany Switzerland Austria France Spain Bulgaria Italy

12 The breeders association supports biodynamic breeding since : 30 locations of breeding projects within biodynamic farms in Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland

13 The seed company since 1987 distribution of seeds derived from members of the circle since 2001: Bingenheimer Saatgut AG:

14 The seed company coordination of seed production exchange of knowledge advice for producers maintaining of varieties

15 The seed company seed processing cleaning and calibrating visual and manual control hotwater treatment

16 The seed company quality management purity tests Seed healt examination germination tests Seed vigor tests

17 The seed company Packaging, distribution, marketing

18 The seed company Structure of our customers: more than organic certified market gardeners and farmers more than home gardeners 40 seed companies (offering organic seeds) 15 organic wholesalers and about 400 organic retailers

19 Network cooperation in practice important fundamentals: information exchange at the meetings two times a year: about seed production, costs and prices, projects, varieties, strategies Summer: meetings on the farms (practical education, focusing on certain crops) Autumn: general assemblies of Kultursaat and Bingenheimer Saatgut AG (strategies, theoretical education) Winter: Breeders conference (exchange, education, meeting of crop groups)

20 Outlook Main topics for the future: Improvement of seed production enlargement of production on member farms new partners in suitable regions of Europe education in production methods and techniques developing of social investment models Improvement of service enlargement of logistics and space for processing, storage and distribution integration of new employees developing of social enterprise model Improvement of our network integration of all stakeholders into developing processes developing of social network models for seeds common projects with partners of other countries

21 our responsibility: Agro-Biodiversity Maintaining old varieties is a very valuable task, but it does not suffice at all. There is a need of permanent development of varieties in adaption to changing environment conditions, needs of farmers and consumers. Advantages by growing varieties derived from biodynamic/organic breeding : Keeping transparency and trust of consumers Maintaining and developing the diversity of taste, regional specialities, adaptable crops maintaining and ensuring of best food qualities for consumers. Stop / reduce of dependence of agriculture and livelihood on few global conventional enterprises Our responsibility for future: a consequent sustainable, holistic organic agriculture, based on biodynamic/organic bred varieties, biodynamically/organically maintained, reproducible and fertile.

22 our global responsibility: Europe as an example impacts the whole world, in particular to emerging and developing countries. Who should own varieties? Consequent organic Breeding stands for: Saving of breeders right and the chance to use varieties for new breeding Saving of farmers rights to use varieties for their own reproduction Preconditions: Appropriate legal framework Suitable varieties, not sterile but fertile and reproducible. in many parts of the world free access to seeds of suitable varieties is existential for the survival of rural population. This to save is also our task in Europe.

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24 at Gosberton Bank Nursery Seed production; on site, and through UK seed growers network Variety maintenance and plant breeding Seed processing and testing Seed sales and distribution

25 Seed Co-operation how many people are involved in organic seed in the UK? what are the joint resources we have available? how can we all co-operate? through working together much more is possible how to make it happen?