The Seedsavers Network has produced a beautiful film. It celebrates the seed keepers, farmers and gardeners who are ensuring our long-term survival. Filmed in 11 different countries across Europe and Asia, with contributions from 20 tribal groups, this positive and inspiring documentary shows how our seed is an essential capital.

Our Seeds: Seeds Blong Yumi reveals how indigenous people are buying commercial hybrid seeds and being tempted by cheap processed foods. The marriage between the giant chemical and seed corporations is shown to damage health, land and plants.

Growing commercial seeds diminishes the varieties of food plants that exist and weakens those that do. Both traditional biodiversity and culture suffer from the same problems in every context.

The film celebrates the part that wise and skilled seed keepers, from Italy to India and from Australia to the Solomon Islands, all play in helping to maintain the traditional yearly cycle of collecting and planting seed stock, to protect our heritage and our future.

We can all help by growing our own food, collecting our own seeds and then distributing them to friends and family. Seeds Blong Yumi shows that common global threats have local solutions.

This inspirational film was produced and directed by Michel and Jude Fanton, who founded Seed Savers nearly 20 years ago. They have devoted many decades to preserving the biodiversity of plant varieties through promoting non-profit seed exchange banks and programmes both locally and internationally.

Our Seeds: Seeds Blong Yumi
ISBN 978 0 646 495415
is available from:
Seed Savers Network,
Box 975, Byron Bay,
NSW 2481, Australia
Tel: +61 02 6685 6624
Website: www​.seedsavers​.net

Michael Fanton on location in Papua New Guinea
Photos: © Seed Savers Network