Traditional local crop varieties, also known as landraces, are part of our collective heritage1. They have been shaped over generations by farmers, local knowledge and the places where they are grown. In Greece, where the cultivation of local varieties has almost disappeared, urgent action is needed to conserve these unique genetic resources2. At MedINA, we believe that local varieties are not only part of our living food heritage, but also vital elements of healthy food systems.
FLOURISH grows out of our experience in Lemnos (Terra Lemnia, LEMRACE) and Kythera (KYTHERACE), where community seed banks and local networks of seed guardians have been established. Over 12 months, the project aims to encourage communities across Greece to develop their own seed initiatives by turning the knowledge gained into practical, structured guidance.
At the heart of FLOURISH is the creation of a user-friendly manual for establishing, managing and sustaining small-scale community seed banks. It will be jointly developed with the Greek Gene Bank (GGB), which operates under the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization – DEMETER, combining on-the-ground experience from community-based seed conservation with the GGB’s extensive expertise. The completed manual will be freely available online and presented during an open webinar, where interested communities and organisations will be introduced to its content and practical use.
At the same time, additional hands-on support will be provided to the existing Lemnian and Kytherian seed banks, including the inscription of two landraces in the National Register of Crop Varieties of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
FLOURISH reinforces our commitment to building vibrant food communities together. By saving our seeds today, we are not just preserving the past; we are cultivating a future where local communities prosper in harmony with nature.
The project “FLOURISH – Seed Communities (Sustainable Food Systems: Supporting community seed banks)” is funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation.
References:
1. Kanellopoulou, V. (2020). Seeds as common cultural heritage. In Lekakis, S. (Ed.), Cultural heritage in the realm of the commons: Conversations on the case of Greece (pp. 141-158). Ubiquity Press. https://doi.org/10.5334/bcj.i.
2. Katsiotis, Α., Bebeli, P., Mavromatis, A., & Tzivelikas, A. (2009). Inventory of Greek Landraces. In M. Veteläinen, V. Negri, & N. Maxted (Eds.), European landraces: on-farm conservation, management and use (Bioversity Technical Bulletin No. 15, pp. 97-103). Bioversity International.