Context and Challenge

In the dominant agricultural paradigm, seeds are treated as mere inputs — tools for maximising yield in industrial systems. This production-oriented logic prioritises uniformity, mechanisation, and volume, often at the expense of flavour, nutritional value, cultural heritage, and ecological resilience. The legal frameworks and agricultural policy support schemes governing the seed system reinforce this model, restricting the circulation of diverse vegetable varieties, eventually constraining on-farm agro-biodiversity conservation.

Such restrictions ignore a fundamental truth: biodiversity in agriculture is not preserved in vaults or databases alone. It lives through use – through the hands of gardeners, farmers, and communities who grow, exchange, and adapt seeds to local conditions. When these practices are suppressed, we lose not only genetic diversity but also the cultural and gastronomic richness that sustains resilient food systems.

Vision for Transformation

In the future envisioned by those interviewed, seeds are no longer commodities – they are connectors. Open-pollinated vegetable seeds circulate freely among amateur gardeners, small-scale farmers, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) networks. Seed swaps become vibrant social events, hosted in libraries, community centres, and even ethnographic museums. These gatherings are not just about exchange — they are about storytelling, experimentation, and shared stewardship.

Community seed banks flourish in diverse forms, from local farms to civil society hubs. They are linked in a decentralised, self-organising network that mirrors the diversity of the seeds themselves. Knowledge flows in all directions – between generations, between amateurs and professionals, between grassroots initiatives and national institutions. The national gene bank and research institutions collaborate with community networks, enriching each other through mutual learning.

Small-scale seed companies play a vital role, bridging community innovation and market access. They ensure that high-quality, diverse seeds are available to those who need them, while earning fair livelihoods. The system is resilient: if one node falters, others step in to support it. No single actor dominates. Power is distributed, and cooperation replaces competition as the guiding economic logic.

Laws and regulations protect this ecosystem of care. They safeguard the rights of farmers, gardeners, and communities to access and share seeds and knowledge. Monopolistic interests – whether from the state, market, or science – are held in check. The ethos of reciprocity, already practiced by attentive gardeners, becomes the foundation of a new agricultural paradigm.

Leverage Points and Pathways

The seeds of this transformation already exist. Across Hungary, seed swaps are multiplying. Courses on ecological gardening and self-sufficiency are spreading. Civil initiatives are connecting, forming a resilient network of practice and learning. These grassroots movements embody the care- and connection-based paradigm that could replace the dominant production model.

To nurture this transformation, policy must evolve. The ongoing reform of EU seed legislation – the “new seed law” – is a critical leverage point. If small-scale initiatives are regulated with the same rigidity as multinational agribusinesses, the system will stagnate. But if the law recognises the unique role of community-based conservation, it can become a catalyst for change.

Barriers and Enablers

Barriers include restrictive seed laws, market concentration, and the undervaluing of non-commercial seed systems. The dominance of industrial agriculture and the bureaucratisation of grassroots initiatives threaten the vitality of agro-biodiversity.

Enablers include existing community seed networks, growing public interest in ecological gardening, and the potential for policy reform. The collaborative spirit of gardeners, farmers, researchers, and artists offers a powerful foundation for systemic change.