Conservation of seeds

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Cultivated plants have always been planted in gardens or on farms, and have been used to produce seeds for planting. Whereas seeds used to be exchanged almost exclusively within families or among neighbours and friends, various organisations are now responsible for this. Since 1991, the Pro Specie Rara foundation has been storing seeds from more than a thousand varieties of garden, field and ornamental plants in a seed library, distributing seeds to farmers and hobby gardeners for cultivation in as many different places as possible and providing seeds to other people interested in growing rare plant species. Seeds are distributed and passed on at organised regional meetings or at large seed exchange events. The practice of seed exchange is of great importance to society as a whole, as it preserves biodiversity. Without the seed exchange, many varieties would be lost.