Saving Seeds: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Native American Seed-Savers, and Problems of Property

Abstract

This case study contrasts centralized ex situ conservation of food and crop plant genetic resources with many Native Americans' preference for informal, localized in situ conservation. First, I examine ex situ genebanks operated by governments and research institutions, with particular attention to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault built into the mountainous permafrost on a Norwegian island in the High Arctic. Second, I describe Native American seed-saving efforts in the United States, drawing primarily on projects to preserve culturally significant seeds and promote food sovereignty at the local or tribal level. In general, Native American projects focus on the integration of cultural heritage and food independence through understandings of seeds as a tribal commons. Through these contrasting cases-the Svalbard vault and localized Native American seed-saving projects-I analyze the ways in which divergent understandings of "seedness" and seed ownership are crucial elements in discussions of seeds as property. In conclusion, I point out that the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is unique in its potential ability to cross the political and cultural divide over the ownership and conservation of seeds and thereby promote the vital ecological need for both ex situ and in situ seed preservation. Furthermore, I argue that recognition of the divergent understandings of "seedness" provides a useful way of examining the complementarity and limitations of specific models of in situ and ex situ seed conservation and, more broadly, the future of farmers' rights to the genetic heritage developed over generations in the fields.

Pursuing the Potential of Heirloom Cultivars to Improve Adaptation, Nutritional, and Culinary Features of Food Crops

“…There are several seed-saving projects, in addition to 1700 ex situ gene banks worldwide, including the CGIAR gene banks and Svalbard Global Seed Vault [31], that are involved in collecting and maintaining heirloom cultivars across the globe to preserve agricultural biodiversity. Arche Noah in Austria (https://www.arche-noah.at) and ASEED Europe, Camino Verde, Hawai'i Public Seed Initiative, Irish Seed Savers Association, Louisiana Native Plant Initiative, Man and the Biosphere Programme, Millenium Seed Bank Project, Native Seed/SEARCH, Navdanya, National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, New York City Native Plant Conservation Initiative, Australian Plantbank, Seed Savers Exchange, Seesave.org, Slow Food International, USC Canada, Vavilov Research Institute, and the World Vegetable Center house many traditional and rare cultivars of fruit, vegetable, flower, and grain crops [32].…”

“…Arche Noah in Austria (https://www.arche-noah.at) and ASEED Europe, Camino Verde, Hawai'i Public Seed Initiative, Irish Seed Savers Association, Louisiana Native Plant Initiative, Man and the Biosphere Programme, Millenium Seed Bank Project, Native Seed/SEARCH, Navdanya, National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, New York City Native Plant Conservation Initiative, Australian Plantbank, Seed Savers Exchange, Seesave.org, Slow Food International, USC Canada, Vavilov Research Institute, and the World Vegetable Center house many traditional and rare cultivars of fruit, vegetable, flower, and grain crops [32]. Native American seed-savers are dedicated to on-farm preservation of their agrobiodiversity (heirlooms), but unwilling to share their seed heritage for preservation in ex situ gene banks (for fear of loss of ownership and access), as they believe that community-based in situ conservation will maintain local control and seed viability better than ex situ gene banks [31]. One excellent example of a collection of heirloom cultivars is held at the Heritage Seed Library (HSL) of Garden Organic, UK.…”

“…Native American seed-saving efforts are underway to preserve culturally significant seeds and knowledge to promote food sovereignty at the local or tribal level in the USA [31]. These consist of farmers and gardeners who share a common interest in keeping traditional and local crop diversity alive.…”

Prima facie reasons to question enclosed intellectual property regimes and favor open-source regimes for germplasm

“…At the same time, given the concerns about OSSI expressed by some farmers and researchers involved in the food sovereignty and agroecology movements, as well as Native American communities ( Breen, 2014), it is apparent that there is still work to be done to foster networks and relationships that fully serve all those who are managing biodiversity and agroecosystems, and that may truly serve as an alternative to global IPR.…”

Treasure in the vault: The guardianship of ‘heritage’ seeds, fruit and vegetables

“…However there have been interventions from increasing numbers of sociologists and anthropologists. Fowler and Mooney 1 (1990), Friis-Hansen and Sthapit (2000), Nazarea (1996Nazarea ( , 1998Nazarea ( , 2005Nazarea ( , 2006 and Breen (2015) have all addressed issues of access and power in the conservation and management of 'plant genetic resources'. They have often done so through work with indigenous farmers in various parts of the world where industrialised agriculture has made inroads, but still operates alongside older ways of producing food.…”