The EU-funded LIVESEED project, launched in 2017, wanted to tackle the issue of organic seed availability and quality from a variety of angles, from market aspects through to regulation.

“We wanted to know for example, how transparent the market is,” explains project coordinator Ágnes Bruszik from the European Office of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. “What is the current organic seed supply and demand in the EU? And what is it that influences farmers when deciding to use, or not to use, organic seed?”

The project, which brought together experts from 18 European countries, also wanted to explore the functionality of existing national databases on organic seed availability and assess best practices in both EU and national policies. Farmers require a wide selection of locally adapted organic varieties, so the project was keen to look at ways of improving the availability of organic varieties with specific traits such as tolerance to stresses or resistance against pests and diseases.