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We are Organic Seed Alliance
MISSION:
Organic Seed Alliance supports the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed. We accomplish our goals through collaborative education, advisory services, and research programs with organic farmers and other seed professionals.
VISION:
Seed is both our common cultural heritage and a living natural resource fundamental to the future sustainability of food production. Proper stewardship of our genetic resources necessitates not only its conservation, but careful management in a manner which allows seed to continually evolve with challenges of the environment, cultural practices of sustainable agriculture and the need to feed people. Through advocacy, collaborative education, advisory services, and research we work to restore and develop seed varieties for current needs while safeguarding invaluable genetic resources for future generations.
PROGRAMS:
Education, Information, and Advocacy:
Educational opportunities, workshops, and publications aimed at increasing genetic conservation, and improving organic seed production, plant breeding for organic agriculture, and developing healthy seed systems.
Collaborative Research:
Research that develops healthy seed systems, improves organic seed production practices and develops new, appropriate germplasm for organic agriculture. Participatory Plant Breeding activities are a core component of our research program, bringing together breeding experts with organic farmers to result in new organic seed varieties adapted to local ecosystems/ecological bioregions and communities.
Advisory Services:
Direct technical assistance and consultations to organic farmers, seed producers, and other seedspeople resulting in an over-all increase in the quality, quantity, and diversity of organic seed.
World Seed Fund:
Charitable distribution of organic, open-pollinated seeds and seed-saving knowledge. Among the people we serve are prison gardens, refugee gardens, sustainable agricultural development projects, educational gardens, and low-income urban gardens. Seed farmers trained in our educational programs become the producers of WSF seed.
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