Project description
Protecting and boosting agricultural preservation and diversity
Human-caused climate change has resulted in the extinction and mutation of numerous plant species, which has had detrimental effects on both biodiversity and the ecosystems in which these plants thrive. This has led to the disappearance or alteration of crucial plant species. In order to safeguard the future of these plants, various entities such as seed banks, farmers, researchers, and corporate actors have taken on the responsibility of collecting and storing them. However, due to the independent nature of their efforts, there exists a disparity in knowledge. The EU funded DYNAVERSITY project aims to establish a pioneering system of seed networking. The project seeks to enhance agricultural diversity and improve the preservation of these invaluable resources.
Objective
Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) is an arena populated by different and composite players. Acknowledging the diversity of the stakeholders involved in the conservation of wild and cultivated biodiversity, DYNAVERSITY will propose a dynamic management and governance aiming at enhancing interactions, complementarities and synergies. DYNAVERSITY will facilitate co-construction between actors (e.g. farmers, gardeners, natural parks, seed craftsmen, community seed banks, researchers, ex situ actors, consumers) and establish new forms of seed networking, socio-environmental knowledge and practices. By creating the Sharing Knowledge and Experience Platform (SKEP), representing stakeholders coming from research, ex situ networks and communities of practice, and taking into account the respect of the singularities of each of the actors, DYNAVERSITY will facilitate exchange and integration of scientific as well as practical knowledge on how to best manage diversity in agriculture and in the entire food chain, restoring evolutionary and adaptation processes. To achieve the above, DYNAVERSITY will integrate Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) world represented by natural parks to on farm and on garden communities. Specific attention will be paid to map stakeholders, actors and sites and through in depth case study analysis suggesting new sustainable links and partnerships for in situ conservation. DYNAVERSITY will also promote an enabling institutional framework that will allow the creation of new dynamic seed systems. Raising public awareness will be a crucial issue for DYNAVERSITY addressed with specific and targeted communication products adapted to different target groups. DYNAVERSITY will also support seed fairs and Let’ Liberate Diversity communities in order to promote knowledge and seed sharing between stakeholders.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
7712 Herseaux
Belgium
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.