Opportunities
for farm seed conservation,
breeding and production
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General description
The overall objective of the Farm Seed Opportunities
project (FSO) is to contribute to conservation, improvement
and management of agro-biodiversity onfarm.
A science and marketing based framework, involving
all the relevant actors, will be proposed
through the development of methodologies for plant
breeding strategies.
The innovative partnership of FSO include public
scientific institutions, peasant networks and organic
farmers’ associations from 6 European countries.
project (FSO) is to contribute to conservation, improvement
and management of agro-biodiversity onfarm.
A science and marketing based framework, involving
all the relevant actors, will be proposed
through the development of methodologies for plant
breeding strategies.
The innovative partnership of FSO include public
scientific institutions, peasant networks and organic
farmers’ associations from 6 European countries.
Integrating public and private competences and farmers’
knowledge about varieties and seeds will allow an
approach of participatory innovation and development
aiming at:
knowledge about varieties and seeds will allow an
approach of participatory innovation and development
aiming at:
Organizing participatory plant breeding and seed
production in Europe;
Providing practical recommendations for policy
makers regarding the implementation of seed trade
and variety protection laws in order to facilitate the
commercialization of seeds of landraces, conservation
varieties and special amateur varieties with respect to
the directive 98/95/EC.
Farmers’ knowledge based on local experiences will be
integrated with scientific knowledge in our experimental
test fields: different local varieties (maize, bean,
spinach and wheat) of France, Italy and Netherlands
will be grown in different localities from their origin
along with a set of modern varieties. The idea is to test
and analyze the different capacities of these varieties to
evolve and adapt to change if cultivated in different
environments and with different techniques.
Our research will also focus on the potentiality for
integrated with scientific knowledge in our experimental
test fields: different local varieties (maize, bean,
spinach and wheat) of France, Italy and Netherlands
will be grown in different localities from their origin
along with a set of modern varieties. The idea is to test
and analyze the different capacities of these varieties to
evolve and adapt to change if cultivated in different
environments and with different techniques.
Our research will also focus on the potentiality for
niche markets for products of local varieties (e.g geographic
indications, private label or certification), the
development of a seed quality standard more suitable to
local varieties and the expectations of different stakeholders.
FSO will address information to the society at
large to answer to its demand for local products, to
safeguard agro-biodiversity and to stimulate its involvement
in decision making.
All strategies developed by FSO will be discussed and
shared with experts from Southern countries in a final
international conference at the end of the project.
indications, private label or certification), the
development of a seed quality standard more suitable to
local varieties and the expectations of different stakeholders.
FSO will address information to the society at
large to answer to its demand for local products, to
safeguard agro-biodiversity and to stimulate its involvement
in decision making.
All strategies developed by FSO will be discussed and
shared with experts from Southern countries in a final
international conference at the end of the project.
"The publication of this web site was financially supported by the European Commission through the STREP project "Farm Seed Opportunities", contract no. 044345, under the 6th Framework Programme, priority 8.1, "Specific Support to Policies."
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