Seed Sovereignty
The right of farmers to save, use, and exchange seeds — the foundational freedom that industrial agriculture's hybrid and GM seed system is steadily eroding.
— Definition
Seed sovereignty is the right of farmers and communities to save, use, exchange, and sell their own seeds — to maintain control over the genetic resources that form the basis of agriculture and food systems.
— In Detail
History of seed sovereignty erosion: (1) Pre-Green Revolution (before 1960s): virtually all farming was seed-sovereign — farmers saved and selected seed annually, accumulating variety-specific local knowledge; (2) Green Revolution (1960s–1980s): introduction of F1 hybrid seeds that cannot be saved (because hybrid vigour is lost in the second generation), requiring annual repurchase from seed companies; (3) Intellectual Property expansion (1990s–): TRIPS Agreement (WTO, 1994) allowed plant variety patenting globally; India's Plant Varieties Protection Act (2001) provides both farmer and breeder rights; (4) GM seeds: Bt cotton (approved in India 2002) is the primary example — Monsanto (now Bayer) patented gene varieties, and India's cotton farmers became dependent on their seeds. Countervailing movements: Navdanya (Vandana Shiva) has built community seed banks in 22 states. Beej Bachao Andolan in Uttarakhand maintains 200+ varieties. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library protects indigenous knowledge from biopiracy.
— Why It Matters
Seed sovereignty is not a romantic idea — it is practical food security. The 2023 food crisis in Ukraine and its global ripple effects demonstrated what single-source dependency does to food prices. India's extraordinary crop genetic diversity is held almost entirely by small tribal and farming communities maintaining heirloom varieties — not by corporate gene banks. When this knowledge is lost, it cannot be recreated.
— Related Terms
— See in Field Guide
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