Introduction: Seed Sharing for a Circular Economy

“Now, more than ever, there’s conversation about a circular economy. The importance of regenerating over extracting and how it’s time to forget sustaining and start rebuilding our world. It’s inspiring but can feel overwhelming and out of reach. So what’s the easiest way for you to feel the magic of a circular economy? What one act can inspire you to take many little acts almost without any effort at all?

Like every problem I face, the answer is found squarely in the middle of Mother Nature. The original founder of the circular economy.

Every October, around Canadian Thanksgiving, we save the seed-of-the-season. It’s the final part of the harvest that allows us to give our fullest thanks for the bounty that fed us all summer. Saving the seed of a least one plant a year has become a Thanksgiving tradition. It’s one simple act that allows us to contribute to a circular economy in a tiny way that’s amplified exponentially.”

(Abeego 2018)

Seed saving is the practice of collecting and preserving seeds from plants for use in future growing seasons. Seed saving has been practised for thousands of years by farmers, gardeners, and indigenous communities around the world. Enthusiasts say this practice is essential for preserving genetic diversity and maintaining the sustainability of our food systems. For small farmers, there are many benefits to seed saving. When we save seeds from different plant varieties, we preserve their unique traits and characteristics. This helps maintain the biodiversity of our food systems and protects against the loss of genetic information that can occur with the use of hybrid and genetically modified seeds. Another benefit of seed saving is that it is a sustainable practice.

Watch the video below on how to save indigenous seeds.