2014. European Declaration for Seeds and Biodiversity
European Declaration for Seeds and Biodiversity
Seed Festivals in European Member States and Cities in October 2014
“Without seeds a great civilisation would never exist” Pierre Rabhi
We need to raise awareness of European citizens and consumers with regard to the production, marketing, availability and free exchange of open pollinated, ecological and organic seeds for sustainable agriculture and gardening.
Europe has dramatically lost and is still losing its agro-biodiversity as mainly genetic uniform varieties are dominating the market and are being cultivated. The multitude of genetic diverse traditional land races have disappeared and are only stored in gene banks without having the chance to develop in their specific location and environment anymore and thus contributing to genetic biodiversity in our fields and gardens and last but not least to our food.
We request a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and legislation which will promote
Important principle that seeds are a public good and cultural inheritance of farmers, gardeners and mankind in the first place and only a commodity in the second place
Agro-biodiversity in our fields and gardens again
Legal free distribution and exchange of seed material without the requirement of registration
No patents on seeds
Support of small and medium sized breeding companies and communities which breed genetic diverse and reproducible seeds and varieties (open pollinating material, neither hybrids nor GMOs)
Adequate testing and registration procedure for genetic diverse and new organic varieties by competent authorities
Fair market access for genetic diverse varieties (no monopoly in the hands of a few multinational seed companies)
We ask all European citizens and decision makers to help us to realise a European seed culture and agriculture with a high degree of biodiversity for the benefit of our nature, environment and our people.
This declaration is supported by the following alliance partners:
Demeter International (EU Liaison Office Brussels) Free Seed Bank, London Network Economy Group (Brussels) Urban Ecology Centre (Brussels) Terre et Conscience (Belgium) Organization Earth (Greece) BIOEKSPERT (Poland) ASEED (Netherlands)
