Seed Banking / Creating a Seed Bank

Seeds naturally have a place in almost any endeavor having to do with agricultural development. Seeds represent the promise of a continued supply of food, nutrition, and ecosystem improvement for farmers. Seed sovereignty and access are vital to farm survival. Distributing improperly stored seeds that germinate poorly exposes farmers and communities to the risk of crop failure and culture and heritage loss. Seed banks create opportunities for smallholder farmers to produce, save, and share quality seeds that are desirable, affordable, and accessible to all. ECHO's informational and training resources focus on low-cost methods and appropriate technologies for multiplying, processing, and storing seeds of crops selected for their potential to succeed in local contexts. Examples of seed banking technologies promoted by ECHO include:

• earthbag seed storage structures
• the use of locally available desiccants
• vacuum sealing with modified bicycle pumps and syringes
• seed viability testing

ECHO staff are constantly innovating and researching aspects of seed saving and banking in the tropics. This collection focuses on the knowledge and systems useful in developing seed storage and distribution capacity. If you are interested in the process of growing out plants for saving seed, please see our seed saving collection.