Athens, March 28, 2025 – With an event held on Saturday, March 22, at the Multipurpose Space “Apothiki” in Myrina, the project “LEMRACE – Conservation of the crop genetic wealth of Lemnos: local varieties for sustainable development of the Lemnian food system”, concluded its cycle
The event was attended by over 30 people, including the Deputy Mayor of Lemnos, Mr. Dimitrios Boulotis, who honored the occasion with his presence. He delivered a brief speech, thanking MedINA for its “important work for the island of Lemnos, the local community, and the preservation of its agrifood heritage.”
Danae Sfakianou, agronomist and project manager of LEMRACE, emphasized the importance of producing certified seeds by official maintainers after a local variety is included in the National List of Cultivated Plants. This ensures the variety remains alive, productive, and offers financial benefits to producers.
In her speech, Ms. Parthenopi Ralli, coordinator of the Greek Gene Bank of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DEMETER, spoke about the long-term collaboration between the Greek Gene Bank and local stakeholders and the coordinated efforts for preserving and utilizing local varieties. Mr. Panagiotis Katsaris, agronomist-biotechnologist, head of research and development projects at the Department of Olive and Horticultural Crops of Kalamata, analyzed the technical cultivation practices of fig trees in Greece and discussed the global factors affecting fig production. Lastly, Ms. Paschalina Hatzopoulou, director of research at the Department of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DEMETER, presented the most common species of aromatic and medicinal plants of Lemnos and highlighted the importance of their sustainable harvesting.
During the event, 80 seed packets of local Lemnian varieties were distributed for planting and preservation of these species. In addition, cuttings of white and black figs were provided by a local producer to Mr. Katsaris. The cuttings have already been placed in the misting system of the department for rooting and recording their unique characteristics.
It is worth noting that residents of Mytilene, Lesvos with relevant backgrounds were also present at the event, specifically an agronomist-educator and a student from the Agricultural Tourism Vocational School, who engaged in discussions with the speakers and representatives from MedINA, exploring possible future collaborations.
The project LEMRACE aimed at safeguarding the agricultural genetic heritage of Lemnos, and MedINA has worked intensively toward this goal over the past two years. A legacy of the project is the community seed bank “Lemnian Seed Bank,” which preserves seeds from 35 local varieties. The bank is “revived” through a network of 22 active maintainers on the island, who cultivate these varieties and redistribute the seeds. A result of the two-year effort is also the submission of documents for the local tomato varieties to the National List of Cultivated Plants.
MedINA aspires that, in the future, additional local varieties will be added to the community seed bank and the National List of Cultivated Plants, and with the development of new collaborations, the phytogenetic wealth of the island will be highlighted and our agrifood heritage preserved.
The project “LEMRACE – Conservation of the crop genetic wealth of Lemnos: local varieties for sustainable development of the Lemnian food system”, with a budget of €49,750.00, is implemented by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos and the Greek Gene Bank / Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DEMETER, in the framework of the funding programme “NATURAL ENVIRONMENT & INNOVATIVE ACTIONS 2023”, Priority Axis 4: “INNOVATIVE ACTIONS WITH CITIZENS”. The project belongs to the thematic field “A.4. Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity” and is funded by the Green Fund.