Saving farmers' land-races from disaster

FAO is now working to ensure that farmers' land-races are not lost in times of emergency - threatening food security and eroding plant genetic diversity. One solution is to store farmers' adapted varieties in genebanks in sufficient quantities - and regenerate them often enough - so that they can be given back to the people who first supplied them, in case of emergency. Other sources of quality seeds for adapted crop varieties can be found in the informal or formal seed supply systems near or even inside areas affected by disaster.

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Peru: women farmers sowing potato seeds
FAO/17445/A. Odoul
More photos on seed security:
  • Bangladesh: woman cleaning Chinese cabbage seed
  • Rwanda: bean seed donated by the international community in 1994
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