From February 26 to March 1, 2025, a new edition of the Organic Seed Growers Conference was held in Corvallis, Oregon (USA), one of the world’s most important gatherings on organic seeds and agroecology. The event brought together farmers, plant breeders, researchers, grassroots organizations, and activists from around the globe to share experiences, build networks, and discuss the future of seeds.
Representing Bioleft, Almendra Cremaschi participated as a panelist in the session “Open-Source Seeds Worldwide: Breeding, Growing, Selling, and Spreading”, moderated by Cathleen McCluskey of Organic Seed Alliance. The panel featured key members of the global GOSSI, including Carol Deppe (Fertile Valley Seeds, USA), Andrew Still (Adaptive Seeds, USA), and Daniel Wanjama (Seed Savers Network, Kenya).
Almendra’s presentation, titled Commons-Based Participatory Breeding for more just and sustainable seed systems, shared Bioleft’s experience developing a Commons-Based Participatory Breeding (CBPB) approach, which combines open-source principles with citizen science and farmer knowledge.
The presentation was based on the working paper developed by CENIT and Bioleft:
📄 Commons-Based Participatory Breeding: Open Source and Participatory Approaches to Democratize Seed Innovation
During the session, Almendra presented lessons and challenges from Bioleft’s collaborative experiences in maize and tomato breeding, as well as the institutional and regulatory barriers to building more open, inclusive, and equitable seed innovation systems. The presentation also emphasized the transformative potential of open-source licensing in participatory breeding to democratize access to genetic resources and foster decentralized innovation networks.
🎥 You can watch the full panel video here: Watch video
🙏 We are especially grateful to the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) for the kind invitation to join the panel and for their continued efforts to build a global movement for open-source seeds.
As a result of participating in this conference, several exciting new collaborations have emerged:
- Bioleft has joined the IFOAM Seeds Platform Working Groups, contributing to global discussions on policy and practice for organic seed systems.
- Nereida Sánchez, leader of Semillas Colibrí (Mexico), took part in Bioleft’s virtual participatory tomato evaluation workshop, enriching cross-regional dialogue and exchange.
- Almendra has been invited to speak at the upcoming quarterly call of the Organic Seed Alliance, further strengthening ties with international allies in the open-source seed movement.
Through its participation in this international space, Bioleft continues to expand its network with organizations and individuals who are, in diverse contexts, building open and sustainable innovation models for the present and future of agriculture.
