On Friday (28 March) Ben Raskin, Soil Association head of horticulture spoke at the Edible Garden Show to talk about the growing threat to our seed diversity and the importance of saving seeds; a key message of the organic farming group's 'save our seeds' campaign, which was launched in the run-up to voting on the European Commission's controversial seed regulations package.

The seed package was drafted to simplify European regulations on seed and plant propagation materials. Though it is supported by industry groups, critics have warned that the package was drawn up under intense lobbying pressure and for the benefit of a few large seed houses. The package was voted down by MEPs last month, though the Commission has refused to withdraw or rework its plan, which will now go before the Council of ministers.  

The Association spokesperson said the campaign began in response to the concentration of seed rights into a few hands; just three large multi-nationals (Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta) control almost half of the world's seed. In the EU, just five companies control a staggering 95 percent, though the industry's lobby group the European Seeds Association denies this.

Critics of the Commission's draft claim that it could reduce the number of seed varieties available for growing – meaning there are fewer varieties of vegetables, fruit and crops, which they say could potentially drive small seed merchants out of business. Falling agricultural biodiversity is already a major issue of concern as, aside from the environmental impacts, the homogenisation of crops and varieties may well affect the future viability of agriculture (as less crop diversity will hinder attempts to face down threats from a changing climate, new pests or the spread of disease)

Greens in the European Parliament have spearheaded a campaign against the seed regulations since they were first published in May last year. Commenting after the European parliament rejected the package in March, Green MEP Martin Häusling said, "The global and European decline in genetic diversity in crops is totally at odds with long-term food security. European seed legislation has not helped in this regard and we need a new approach.

"We need rules that promote a broad range of genetic diversity in our crop populations to enable us to adapt to the tougher environmental conditions that climate change is already bringing. Leaving the seed market in the control of a handful of multinational agro-chemical corporations, which design seeds to be tailor-made for use with their own agro-chemicals, is not the right approach."

Soil Association's Ben Raskin said on Friday, "We share the concerns of the MEPs who rejected this regulation. As it stands it will directly affect many small growers, growers' associations and gardeners at both a professional and amateur level.

"We believe that the control and supply of plant varieties should not lie in the hands of a few large companies – we want to see a set of flexible, proportionate rules that exempt home gardeners and small commercial growers from the demands placed on major agricultural food producers, and that encourage biodiversity and conservation of heritage and unusual seed varieties with little regulatory burden."

Farmer-led research being supported by the organic group is trialling open pollinated seed varieties in organic 'field labs' to create more demand for organic seeds. Those taking part have been encouraged to save their seeds. Raskin said he hopes, that "By supporting projects like our seed variety field lab… we can all help to try and save our seeds and reclaim control of our seeds for future generations."