What is Seed Sovereignty?

Seed sovereignty is the right to save, grow, exchange, and control seeds without dependence on large corporations or restrictive laws. For many Indigenous peoples, seeds are carriers of ancestral knowledge and ecological stewardship practices developed over generations. Colonization disrupted these relationships through land dispossession, forced assimilation, and the introduction of industrial agriculture and patented seeds. Seed sovereignty restores community authority over traditional seed varieties, protects biodiversity, and supports the transmission of cultural knowledge to future generations.

WHY IT MATTERS:

• Communities are better able to grow culturally significant foods, adapt crops to local climates, and respond to environmental change

• Seed sovereignty safeguards biodiversity at a time when industrial agriculture has narrowed the global seed base.

• Seed sovereignty is an act of cultural renewal and resistance: it affirms Indigenous rights and connects people to land and tradition.

What is Seed saving?

Seed saving is the practice of harvesting, selecting, and storing seeds from plants so they can be replanted in future growing seasons. Saving seeds ensures the survival of traditional plant varieties that have been carefully adapted over generations to specific lands, climates, and community needs. Seed saving also strengthens community resilience. It preserves biodiversity, protects locally adapted varieties from disappearing, and reduces reliance on commercial seed systems. Through the act of selecting seeds, knowledge is passed down between generations.

Stay tuned for Seed Saving workshops in the Fall!

Explore Seed Saving Resources

Revelstoke Seed Library

Okay, so you’ve started saving seeds. Now you have enough tomato seeds to feed Revelstoke and you’ve run our of storage in your seed cabinet or your locally adapted seeds. Now what!?

The Revelstoke Seed Library is a great place to share seeds all year long! Hosted by the Okanagan Regional Library at 605 Campbell Avenue, the Seed Library is open to anyone looking for seeds or looking to donate seeds.  Simply take what you need, or consider bringing any seeds you have to share— last seasons, saved seeds, or leftovers.