The world has lost almost 75% of crop varieties, and crop genetic diversity is vanishing at the rate of about 2% per year. In North America alone, over the past century we’ve lost 90% of our fruit and vegetable varieties! This means market farmers have a shrinking choice of seed varieties available to them. For Canadians, that means a less stable food supply.

That’s why seed farmers from across the country have stepped up to help reverse this troubling trend. They’re working with USC to turn ordinary Canadians into Seed Saviours, by donating packets of organically produced seeds for USC to distribute free at events across the country.

The free exchange of seed among growers is a time-honoured way of conserving seed and spreading diversity. The Seed Saviour program has a role to play in preserving that exchange. It’s how our agricultural ancestry grows!

With the Seed Saviour program, USC hopes that Canadians will recognize how important agricultural diversity is to a strong local food system – not just in the global south, but here at home. Become a Seed Saviour and help protect seed diversity in your own backyard!

Become a Seed Saviour

There are several ways you can become a seed savior:

• Plant organic and heirloom seeds, such as those found in our Seeds of Survival seed packets. If you recently picked up a seed packet, you can click the links on the right to find planting instructions for your seeds.
• After harvest, save your own seeds, or share and exchange them with friends, neighbours, and fellow farmers. By doing this, you’ll be promoting and protecting vital agricultural diversity in your own backyard!
• Give generously to USC Canada’s Seeds of Survival Program. Your contribution will protect agricultural-diversity and sustainable farming livelihoods around the world. It will help us build and maintain local community seed banks, train farmers on how to diversify crops and maintain collections of crop varieties, and help organize farmers to save and share seeds.