Farmer-led seed systems can and do make a critical contribution in responding to current global ecological and social threats through adaptation to climate change, enhancing agricultural biodiversity, strengthening food security and sovereignty, increasing dietary diversity, and recognising and honouring indigenous knowledge and the key roles of women.

Biowatch works both at the practical level, supporting household food production and food security, and at the systemic level to what is underpinning these activities, and in many places, these are farmer-led seed systems. With this briefing paper, Biowatch wants to make farmer-led seed systems more visible and show what farmer-led seed systems bring to the response to the ecological and social crises. Farmer-led seed systems are community-based, which can strengthen communities and offer diversity and resilience in uncertain times. Farmer-led seed systems show that seed cannot be reduced to a commodity but is embedded in social and cultural systems in ways we should not ignore. With this brief Biowatch aims to honour and highlight the value of farmer-led seed systems, so their role in food security and food sovereignty is understood and acknowledged, so that policies can be developed, and that students can study and learn about them in tertiary institutions, thereby helping to promote and popularise farmer-led seed systems.