Chapters 11.2
11.02 - Community Seed Banks
Madison Paul,University of Guelph,Canada
Related video(s): Community seed banks (Source: Access Agriculture)
https://www.accessagriculture.org/community-seed-banks?cat_id=1499
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Paul,M. (2025) Community Seed Banks. In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada,University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org
1.1 Introduction to Community Seed Banks
Community Seed Banks are long-term storage facilities that store and distribute seeds (e.g. local landraces) for use by farmers and for conservation practices (Figure 1). At these facilities, farmers can pool their resources and properly store seeds for use by the whole community. It is one of the many ways that a small-scale farmer can utilize to source seeds, which can typically range from local exchanges and national seed programs (Vernooy et al., 2022).
Community Seed Banks not only improve the storage environments of these seeds but also enhance access to genetic resources by providing varieties that responsive to local needs and preferences (Vernooy et al., 2022). All activities that run under a Community Seed Bank facility occur under the direct control of the community (Vernooy et al., 2024), therefore making it farmer-managed and collaborative.
Because small-scale farmers depend on the outcomes of their harvests for the quality of their livelihoods, Community Seed Banks are vital to ensuring resilient seeds are accessible and available.
1.2 How to Implement
To begin a Community Seed Bank, a location for the facility must be determined based on the land use, centrality of the location to the communities, accessibility by villagers, and the presence of water, since dry conditions are critical (Vernooy et al., 2020a). The initial costs for a seed bank will depend on the materials used for the facility, which can be diverse. Examples of Community Seed Bank facilities include train/ocean shipping containers, foam-insulated cold rooms, earth-bag houses, and buried clay cisterns which, if seeds are stored and sealed properly, can be effective and affordable (Trail et al., 2021).
Next, after seeds are selected to be saved, it is important that they are cleaned and dried. Cleaning can be done by rinsing with water on a sieve or screen (Figure 2) and later dried on a towel/cloth (especially for seeds in the flesh), or by winnowing or screening to separate debris (Echo, 2016). Because a high moisture content in seeds can make them unviable for long-term storage, they must be properly dried either outdoors (must be protected from pests and rain), or, if electricity is available, in a temperature-controlled cabinet on racks for up to 3 days (Echo, 2016). Costs associated with cabinet drying include the heating source (which can be an incandescent lightbulb), a fan for air circulation, and optionally a thermostat to prevent the temperature of the cabinet from exceeding 38 degrees Celsius (ECHO, 2016).
Keeping the humidity of the facility relatively low is another vital component of running the Community Seed Bank. If an electric dehumidifier is unavailable, seeds can be stored alongside dried rice (desiccant) in a sealed container or a thick plastic bag, and/or vacuum sealed in the container using a bicycle tire pump (Echo Staff, 2016). These containers can be recycled glass or plastic that has been cleaned and sanitized (Figure 3).
Furthermore, establishing a business model for the Community Seed Bank is important to its viability overall. According to Vernooy et al., developing a locally suited business model helps Community Seed Banks prosper regardless of funding sources, potentially evolving into stronger local development organizations.
Establishing focus groups where farmers in the community can discuss the problems and needs of the community can help to establish and operate a Community Seed Bank. For example, FAO’s Farmer Field School program was able to assist a group of farmers to start a Community Seed Bank in the Chemba district of Mozambique in Africa through the facilitation of these focus groups (FAO 2021).
Since Community Seed Banks are locally and farmer-managed, they require the establishment of roles and responsibilities amongst all leaders and members to carry out their tasks and ensure cooperation. For example, the Community Seed Bank in Chemba required a group agreement as a prerequisite for the facility, and the site’s security is in the hands of a ‘seed custodian’ and the seedbank’s president (FAO, 2021). Establishing a seed database is a key element of a Community Seed Bank and can be used daily (Figure 4) (Diversifood, 2019). An efficient database serves as a valuable tool for storing information and analyzing data about the farmers and seed varieties in order to maintain the crop diversity over time (Diversifood, 2019).
1.3 Benefits
The benefits of Community Seed Banks are extensive. Community Seed Banks have proven to be effective in increasing the diversity of seeds as well as the quality of local landraces. Farmers in marginal areas with access to this crop genetic diversity can have access to important genes and combinations for crop improvement (Almekinders, 2001). Results from a case study of a Community Seed Bank in India tested more than 5000 varieties from 20 crops and found 300 native varieties potentially able to address diverse needs (Vernooy et al., 2024).
Landraces maintained by Community Seed Banks, or improved varieties that are introduced, have potential to be resilient to environmental variation, especially in the face of climate change, through their high capacity to withstand extreme weather conditions and adaptation to the local weather environment (Song et al., 2021).
Food security and nutrition outcomes are improved by the harvest of “safe, healthy and diversified food (Song et al., 2021),” especially when highly nutritious varieties are prioritized to meet deficiencies in the community.
Women are important actors in small-scale farming, being disproportionately affected by hardships, as male rural-to-urban migration is predominantly high (Song et al., 2021). Community Seed Banks have the ability to act as a platform for women’s empowerment through their strong participation in decision-making (some Community Seed Banks are all-female managed) (Vernooy et al., 2024) and by receiving technical training which can include how to handle and safely store seeds.
Establishing Community Seed Banks and providing low-cost seeds and genetic resources can address problems such as expensive, inaccessible and unadopted varieties that are produced in commercial systems (Vernooy et al., 2022).
Community Seed Banks can also protect the rights of farmers as outlined by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), specifically the right to protect traditional knowledge. For example, three Community Seed Banks in Zimbabwe operate with a community biodiversity register and passport data for local crops, their varieties, and their traditional knowledge, protecting the rights of the local farmers (Vernooy et al., 2020b).
1.4 Critical Analysis
Unfortunately, policies and laws in many nations have failed to recognize Community Seed Banks, because they operate under diverse political regimes and in various contexts, politically and legally, causing them to be at the margins, as they are not legally recognized (Vernooy et al., 2020b). In many cases, their rights are limited in terms of their capacity to sell seed. In Zimbabwe, local farmers cannot sell their farm-saved seeds beyond the local community (Vernooy et al., 2020b).
According to Vernooy et al. (2024), Community Seed Banks require financial investment and expertise to ensure the viability and sustainability of their operations, especially when the initial support to establish them ceases (i.e., from an NGO). Regulations that restrict flows of income from beyond local sales can inhibit the ability of Community Seed Banks to grow into strong institutions in the long-term.
Agricultural cooperatives are a crop and livestock production model operated by farmers, including women farmers (Figure 6), that can help share and distribute resources to facilitate Community Seed Banks; such cooperatives can increase business productivity and yields (EOS Data Analytics, 2025). Establishing one can help protect farmers who are a part of the cooperative economically, as they face lower risks, and gain access to larger markets, and greater profits, and even help to secure their rights by improving democracy and access to legal support (EOS Data Analytics, 2025).
1.5 Cost Benefit Analysis
Initial establishment of a Community Seed Bank is typically funded by one or more organizations, such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization or a local NGO. Establishing and operating a Community Seed Bank entails its facility maintenance, organization of its activities, engagement with stakeholders, and providing incentives for its members and leaders (Vernooy et al., 2024). Farmers often access the seeds from the seed bank through a membership fee and a seed loan/repayment system which help cover expenses of the facility (Vásquez & Anderson, 2023). This loan can be generous in times of hardship, and due to the collective nature of Community Seed Banks, there is often the social pressure to repay loans (Vásquez & Anderson, 2023). Social and economic returns outweigh the costs that are required to establish and operate a Community Seed Bank, making it an excellent opportunity for small-scale agricultural development.
While there may be an initial fee for access to hybrid seeds, responses from farmers have noted they have been able to reduce their seed costs and increase their incomes (Vásquez & Anderson, 2023). Moreover, local varieties from Community Seed Banks allow for reduced overall production costs by farmers not having to opt for chemical fertilizers and instead being able to use their own organic fertilizer (Vásquez & Anderson, 2023). The seeds and training offered by seed banks have increased agricultural productivity and crop variety access, meaning improved access to food and additional income earnings from surpluses (Vásquez & Anderson, 2023). Through Community Seed Banks and their storage capacities, farmers can also sell grains when commodity prices increase rather than all at the end of the growing season when prices are low -- although this requires a larger storage facility.
Community Seed Banks have a positive impact on the social outcomes for farmers and the communities they operate in. With a wide range of empowerment and technical activities, Community Seed Banks have the potential to grow into rural community development organizations (Vernooy et al., 2022).
As already noted, effective food and seed storage is one of the many benefits of Community Seed Banks, so their practice is incredibly important. Proper technical training on cleaning and storage can help prevent pests and diseases, reducing costs and barriers to a successful harvest. Furthermore, studies by Song et al. (2021) found that Community Seed Banks can contribute to organic farming through its diversity in seeds, supplying to an emerging market where regulations are not restrictive
Additional Resources to Get Started
This video explains Community Seed Banks and their importance (available in multiple languages), it can be viewed at https://www.accessagriculture.org/community-seed-banks
Another video about how Community Seed Banks operate with interviews in the community. Viewed at https://youtu.be/XraRiYPmkfg?si=iNWdSyowSZhvUix-
A simple practice abstract on how farmers can start their own Community Seed Bank: https://www.liveseed.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/PA51_How-to-set-up-a-community-seed-bank.pdf
Seed storage in the tropics: https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/f938a2af-bb1d-4128-a7e7-440c3419e48f
Vacuum-sealing options and how to: https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/49954b28-cefb-46f3-9c46-ffd1723c329b
How to make a seed drying cabinet: https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/2c81b308-b224-4d53-bf4e-5cf57a9717dd
Farmer’s handbook on establishing a Community Seed Bank: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/items/9f60448d-f143-4c31-a6f7-e7123f89b457
Cold room construction for seed storage: https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/5e9f55ab-f8e9-42aa-9410-431927afc37a
How to make a seed germination chamber (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lux5EVUuI
Seed cleaning and testing poster: http://edn.link/k3hfpz
References
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