SEEDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SAVE BIODIVERSITY: A MANIFESTO MADE UP OF THE MAIN GUIDELINES ON HOW TO SAVE THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE

A series of principles to follow in order to safeguard biodiversity, the freedom of farmers, and respect for life. This is what is contained in the ‘Manifesto on the Future of Seeds’, presented at the Salone del Gusto held recently in Turin by Carlo Petrini, Slow Food founder, Vandana Shiva, president of the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture, Susanna Cenni, Tuscany Regional Councilor for Agriculture, and Environmental Minister, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio. The manifesto, published in four languages, was distributed to all of the representatives of Terra Madre, together with the Manifesto on the Future of Food that was published in all of the official languages of the Salone del Gusto.

Today, seeds, the concrete form of biological and cultural diversity, mines for the future evolution of life, the symbol of life itself, are under attack. The genetic resources of the cultivated species is being reduced at the rate of 1-2% per year (FAO, 1993), and it is estimated that, from the beginning of the 1900’s to today, about 75% of the diversity in agricultural cultivation has been lost.

During the presentation, a symbolic exchange of seeds between Viviano Venturi, Tuscan custodian cultivator who donated various species of autochthonous seeds of zolfini and black cabbage, and Iwaski Masatoshi and Yoshida Tomoko, two Japanese producers who offered native seeds from their country. “It is necessary that the sensibility towards these themes of safeguarding biodiversity and the freedom of farmers” – explained Minister Pecoraro Scanio – “is diffused not only with institutional attention but with citizens, because there is no better way to protect the environment than to recuperate and make strong the title to its rights”.