Indigenous Seed Savers

By Erin Sagen, YES! Magazine 

“As climate change makes it more difficult to practice agriculture in their ancestral homelands, indigenous communities are exchanging seeds in hopes of finding the hardiest varieties.

“During a series of talks held between April 26 and May 2, the farmers forged a unique partnership entailing the exchange of indigenous crop varieties and farming methods, which they hope will protect agricultural biodiversity in the face of climate change. The exchange will begin with potatoes—a sturdy crop that thrives in the mountains of China, Bhutan, and Peru—and will enable the farmers to experiment together from a distance, so they can find the hardiest, most resilient varieties.”

Source: truth-out.org

GR:  A benefit from indigenous crops is preservation of genetic diversity and avoidance of genetically modified crops.  However, the financial might of Monsanto, Bayer, and the other agro-chemists lets them comfortably ignore sensible alternatives in their pursuit of short-term profits.  But I can’t resist a poke.  If the worst-case climate change scenarios do occur, crop diversity will be essential for survival of the dregs of humanity living in the ruins of Earth.