• Come see us at the London Seed Festival

Our entire lives depend on seed.

Almost all of the food we eat starts out as a seed – from the vegetables, fruits and roots we grow, to the bread we bake, the milk we make and even our meat, which comes primarily from animals that live on food grown from seed.

Despite the central role seed plays in our daily existence, we seldom recognise its importance and that it is coming under increasing threat both here in the UK and globally, especially from large biotech companies which are trying to use patent laws to claim ownership of our seeds.

That is why this October, events will be taking place across the UK to celebrate an overlooked, but critically important part of our food system: the humble seed. The Great Seed Festival – the first of its kind – is being held to recognise and celebrate the importance of seed from the pip to the plate.

The Great Seed Festival is being coordinated by The Gaia Foundation, Beyond GM, the London Freedom Seed Bank, Heritage Seed Library and the UK Food Group.

Educating and celebrating

The festival will highlight some of the increasing threats to seed – such as the potential changes in EU seed laws that would reduce the number of seed varieties available, damage biodiversity and drive small seed merchants out of business; the current Transatlantic Trade Partnership and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the EU and the USA; and the rapid decline in global seed diversity.

But it will also celebrate the inspiring growth in the organic and local food movements in the UK

Festival events will take place across the country throughout the month, and over the weekend of the 10th – 12th October, London will play host to a hub of free activities including chocolate making workshops, seed bomb building and a seed themed feast at The Garden Museum on the bank of the Thames in Lambeth.

Through workshops, art, talks, storytelling and film aimed at all ages, the festival will bring together audiences to understand why seed is so vital in our everyday lives, and why we should be protecting it.

Lawrence Woodward from Beyond GM commented: ““Today the majority of seeds that provide our food are controlled by just a handful of global corporations. As a result our health and our environment is being undermined and the chance of providing healthy food for all in a fair and just way is being taken from us. For the sake of future generations it is imperative that we work to secure a sustainable food system that is beyond corporate control, beyond techno-fixes like GMOs and beyond the obsession with short term profit. Saving seeds, understanding and nurturing them, as well as liberating their diversity is vital.”

Liz Hosken from The Gaia Foundation added: “The seeds the corporations don’t yet control are now under threat from policies that seek to stop us from sowing, growing and exchanging them; practices that farmers and gardeners have carried out for thousands of years. We stand to not only lose our rights to share and save seeds, but also the genetic diversity which supports diverse farming systems, farmers’ resilience to climate change and our varied nutritional needs. Now is the time for us all to send a message to those who want to take seed from us, and to support those who understand the magic of seed and work to protect it.”

A better harvest

October is a potent time for the festival to take place. Not only is it harvest season in the UK, but it is also UK Food Sovereignty Month and World Food Day on the 16th October.

In Europe, the new European Parliament will be reconvening after the European elections, making this a strategic time to alert the new MEPs to the threats to seed and our food system.

Now is the time for society to send a message to those who want to take seed from us, and to support those farmers, growers and gardeners who support seed diversity and produce food in a life-enhancing and ecological way.

Join us for film, food and discussion

As part of the London Seed Festival, Beyond GM will be hosting a special showing of the award-winning documentary GMO OMG at London’s Garden Museum.

The film follows a father of three as he travels the country to find out what impact the GM foods is children eat is having on their health and their environment.

Tickets can be booked in advance and the ticket price also includes a delicious buffet of organic food and drink and lively a panel discussion about the issues the film raises.