International Seed Day 2025: Join the Mission to Build the World’s Largest Online Seed Collection and Safeguard Crop Diversity
International Seed Day 2025: Seeds, Sovereignty, and the Global Call for Preservation
Seeds are more than just the means to start a crop. They are holding the promise of tomorrow’s harvests, biodiversity, and food security. On International Seed Day 2025, we celebrate not only the miracle of seeds but also the global efforts to preserve, protect, and share this vital resource and empower farmers. As we celebrate, we invite you to explore Wikifarmer’s remarkable photographic seed collection and join our efforts to build the world’s largest online photographic seed repository, making seed knowledge and access truly global.
80% of the world’s cultivated crops start from seeds
Farmers use a wide range of reproductive materials to start their crops, including seeds, tubers, bulbs, cuttings, grafts, seedlings, young plants, suckers, and other vegetative parts such as rhizomes and corms. These materials enable both sexual (seed-based) and asexual (vegetative) propagation, allowing for the cultivation of diverse crops and the preservation of specific plant traits.
Globally, the vast majority of crops are established using seeds, as seed propagation remains the most common and cost-effective method for multiplying plants, especially for cereals, legumes, vegetables, and many fruit trees. While exact figures vary by crop and region, it is estimated that over 80% —and in many contexts, over 90%—of the world’s cultivated crops are established from seeds, with vegetative methods primarily used for crops like potatoes, bananas, and some fruit and ornamental plants, according to FAO’s data.
Why Seed and Genetic Material Preservation Matters
The Crucial Role of Genebanks in Safeguarding Genetic Diversity
Genebanks are the world’s “insurance policy” for agriculture. These specialized repositories store seeds, plant tissues, and even entire plants under controlled conditions, ensuring that the genetic material of thousands of crop species is preserved for future generations. The significance of genebanks cannot be overstated, especially in an era marked by climate change, habitat loss, wars, monoculture, loss of indigenous knowledge, etc.
Over seven million plant germplasm accessions are currently conserved in 1,750 genebanks worldwide, with about two million considered unique.
Genebanks also act as a bridge between the past and the future. They store not only commercial varieties but also landraces and wild relatives—genetic resources that might otherwise disappear forever. These collections are vital for researchers, breeders, and farmers seeking to improve crop plants with new traits, creating new varieties that are more resilient, nutritious, and adapted to future challenges.
Hybrid Seeds vs. Landraces & Open-Pollinated Varieties: What Farmers Need to Know
Understanding the differences between hybrid seeds, landraces, and open-pollinated (OP) varieties is essential for making informed choices about seed saving, costs, and food sovereignty.
- Hybrid seeds: Hybrid crop varieties are plants developed by deliberately cross-pollinating two genetically distinct parent varieties/lines, often to combine desirable traits such as higher yield, disease resistance, uniformity, or improved flavor. This process results in a first-generation (F1) hybrid that typically exhibits what is known as "hybrid vigor" or heterosis, meaning the plants grow more vigorously and produce better yields than either parent. However, seeds saved from hybrid crops do not reliably reproduce the same characteristics in the next generation, so farmers usually need to purchase new hybrid seeds each season. A well-known example of a hybrid crop variety is hybrid corn (maize), which has been widely adopted due to its significantly increased yield and uniformity compared to traditional open-pollinated varieties. However, seeds saved from hybrids don’t reliably reproduce the same traits, forcing farmers to buy new seeds each season.
- Landraces and OP varieties: Landraces are traditional crop varieties that have evolved over generations through natural and farmer-led selection, adapting to specific local conditions. They can be saved, replanted, and gradually adapted to local conditions, reducing dependence on commercial seed markets and supporting local food security. Landraces often possess unique traits, such as tolerance to local pests, diseases, and climatic stresses, making them invaluable for the sustainability and adaptability of farming systems. The conservation of landraces is a collaborative effort involving individual farmers, communities, NGOs, and government organizations. Custodian farmers, recognized for their deep knowledge, play a pivotal role in maintaining and selecting diverse varieties, while community seed banks ensure these seeds remain available and viable
Choosing landraces or OP varieties allows farmers to retain control, reduce expenses, and build more resilient farming systems. However, hybrids can offer advantages in yield and disease resistance, especially where land or labor is limited.
The Challenge: Ensuring Farmers' Access to Healthy, High-Quality Seeds
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 95% of the seed used by farmers in many regions, particularly in developing countries, comes from local systems, highlighting the dominance of seed-based propagation in global agriculture.
Access to quality seeds is a cornerstone of productive, resilient agriculture. A good harvest begins with a healthy seed. Yet, millions of smallholder farmers worldwide struggle to access quality seeds (whether improved varieties or robust landraces) due to high costs, distribution challenges, or the prevalence of counterfeit and low-quality seeds.
The use of poor-quality or uncertified seeds can lead to low germination rates, poor crop establishment, disease and pest spread/problems and reduced yields, directly affecting farmers’ incomes and food security.
Conversely, access to certified, healthy seeds can triple yields and nearly double household incomes, as demonstrated in regions where improved seed distribution has been prioritized.
Community seed banks and farmer-managed seed systems are critical for increasing the availability of diverse, locally adapted seeds. These initiatives empower farmers, enhance agrobiodiversity, and improve resilience to environmental changes. To close the gap, global and local efforts must focus on strengthening seed certification, combating counterfeit seeds, and ensuring that farmers can obtain the right seeds at the right time and price.
How Farmers Can Access/Use and Revive Seeds from Seedbanks
1. Community Seed Banks
Community seed banks are local repositories managed by farmers, for farmers. They store, share, and multiply seeds, including local and improved varieties, using a loan-and-return system: farmers borrow seeds at planting and return an agreed amount after harvest. This system keeps seeds circulating, preserves agrobiodiversity, and ensures that farmers always have access to planting material—even after disasters or crop failures.
2. Formal Genebank Access
Traditionally, genebanks have supplied seeds mainly to breeders and researchers, but there’s a growing movement to make these resources more directly available to farmers and their organizations. Some genebanks now collaborate with farmer cooperatives, NGOs, and local governments to distribute seeds for on-farm trials, multiplication, and revival of lost varieties.
3. Multiplication and Certification
Farmers can participate in seed multiplication programs, where they grow out seeds from genebanks or community banks, select the best plants, and return seeds for further distribution. Certification ensures quality and allows seeds to be sold or shared more widely, supporting both local food security and farmer livelihoods.
4. Participatory Breeding and Selection
Farmers are increasingly involved in participatory breeding—working with researchers to select and adapt varieties to local needs. This approach not only improves crop performance but also strengthens farmers’ knowledge and seed sovereignty.
Take Action: Join Wikifarmer’s Global Seed Movement
Seeds are the future. Their preservation, recognition, and free exchange are the foundation of resilient, independent, and sustainable agriculture.
- Farmers: Explore our seed collection, save and share your seeds, and contribute your knowledge.
- Genebanks & Breeders: Partner with us to document and share your collections. Your expertise can help farmers worldwide.
- Collectors & Enthusiasts: Share your images and stories—help us build the world’s largest, most accessible seed library.
Let’s work together to preserve our agricultural heritage, empower farmers, and secure food for generations to come.
Visit the Wikifarmer Seed Collection, contribute your seeds, and become part of a global legacy.
Wikifarmer’s Photographic Seed Collection
At Wikifarmer, we believe that access to knowledge should be universal. That’s why we’re building the largest online photographic seed collection, featuring high-quality images, facilitating the recognition of the different seeds and essential information about these seeds and their crop/plants. Our goal is to make seed recognition, selection, and use accessible to every farmer, breeder, and enthusiast worldwide.
Explore our seed collection – Over 100 seeds-crops available in 17 languages:
Browse, learn, and contribute at Wikifarmer Seed Collection.
Open Call: Help Us Grow the World’s Seed Library!
We invite genebanks, breeders, local collectors, and farmers from every corner of the globe to join our mission. Share your seed photographs, stories, and knowledge. By contributing, you help create a living, growing resource that empowers farmers everywhere to recognize, select, and preserve the seeds they need for a secure and sustainable future.
Contact us to contribute your seeds, images, and expertise. Let’s build a global legacy, together, available to all farmers.
As we mark International Seed Day 2025, let us recognize that the preservation and sharing of seeds—through genebanks, community efforts, and farmer empowerment—are essential for building resilient, nutritious, and sustainable food systems.
References:
https://www.fao.org/4/ai502e/ai502e02.pdf
https://alliancebioversityciat.org/services/genebanks
https://ispgr.in/index.php/ijpgr/article/download/2591/2383/2723
https://www.biovision.ch/en/story/access-to-seed-is-crucial-for-small-farmers/
https://farmingfirst.org/2022/09/levelling-the-playing-field-seed-access-for-farmers/
https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/fao_ilo/pdf/Other_docs/FAO/Community_Seed_Banks.pdf
Further reading:
Sexual Propagation of a Plant - Everything around seeds
What is Plant Propagation – Types and characteristics of Sexual and Asexual propagation material
Exploiting wild relatives and landraces to breed future-ready, resilient crops
Key Traits Breeders Prioritize for Enhancing Greenhouse Crop Performance
Enhancing Wheat Yield and Nutritional Quality Through Agronomy and Genetics
Pre-Breeding: The Future of Crop Improvement
Hybrid Potatoes – A Climate-Smart Solution for Potato Farmers
The Importance of Crop Wild Relatives for Enhanced Plant Stress Resilience
