Our seeds are in danger. How can we protect them?

“There is an urgent need to do something about the decline in biodiversity. We are losing seeds with important traits to combat climate change,” emphasised seed expert Simon Degelo in the webinar on 24 April 2025, because without biodiversity, there are no solutions to the problems of the climate crisis.

Diverse seeds are particularly important for small farmers in the Global South. Shalmali Guttal, member of the UN Working Group on the Rights of Women Farmers and Other People Working in Rural Areas, and Mamadou Goïta, member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, therefore called for them to have self-determination over their seeds during the webinar.

Around 200 participants took part in the lively discussion. It became clear that broad social alliances – across regions and sectors – are needed to counteract the increasing control by agricultural corporations and stop the loss of biodiversity.

If you missed the webinar, you can watch it here.