Why We Should All Save Seeds
Bill McDorman –
SeedSave.org
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A Call for Local Resilience
Lifelong seed-saving advocate Bill McDorman discusses the centralization of the seed industry, its impact on biodiversity, and the loss of traditional seed-saving practices. He explains the historical role of farmers in breeding resilient crops and how corporate patents have restricted seed-saving. Bill advocates for local seed-saving, regional food systems, and grassroots movements to reclaim agricultural sovereignty and biodiversity.
Who Owns Our Seeds? | Length: 2:48
The seed industry has become highly centralized, with a few corporations controlling most commercial seeds, limiting diversity and farmer autonomy.
The Consequences of Seed Centralization | Length: 2:03
Industrial seed control has led to a dramatic loss of crop varieties, threatening global biodiversity and long-term agricultural resilience.
10,000 Years of Seed Selection | Length: 3:01
Humans domesticated wild plants over thousands of years through seed selection, creating diverse, resilient crops tailored to local environments.
From Farmers’ Rights to Corporate Control | Length: 4:17
Legal changes, including patents and corporate mergers, transformed seeds from a shared resource into a privatized, profit-driven industry.
How Patents Changed Agriculture | Length: 9:29
Supreme Court rulings enabled corporations to patent living organisms, accelerating the loss of farmers’ rights to save and breed seeds.
Patents on Organic Seeds | Length: 7:41
Even organic seeds are now patented, preventing farmers from saving seeds, increasing costs, and undermining sustainability.
Fewer Seeds, Bigger Risks | Length: 4:32
Corporate seed control prioritizes profit over biodiversity, limiting the adaptability of crops in the face of climate change.
How Communities Can Take Back Agriculture | Length: 5:26
Rebuilding local food systems requires seed-saving networks, community engagement, and education to foster agricultural independence.
Seed Saving – Where to Begin? | Length: 4:32
Farmers and gardeners alike should start with a crop they love, learning to grow, save, and adapt seeds to their environment.
Debunking the Myths of Modern Seeds | Length: 5:15
Seed companies spread myths to discourage seed saving, but traditional methods remain effective, adaptable, and necessary.
Rediscovering Einkorn Wheat – Why It Matters | Length: 3:04
McDorman highlights einkorn wheat as a resilient, nutrient-rich grain that has remained genetically pure for thousands of years.
Bill McDorman, a lifelong seed saver and passionate advocate for seed sovereignty is dedicated to empowering people to save and share their own seeds. He has worked to preserve heirloom and open-pollinated seeds through education, activism, and community organizing. more
Basic Seed Saving by Bill McDorman
Philip Howard, PhD, Michigan State University (seed industry centralization drawing)
Colin Khoury, PhD, Wageningen University & Research
What is Happening to Agrobiodiversity?
Gregor Mendel, “Father of Genetics”
Bill Tracy, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
John Deere Repair Controversy
Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970
Ananda Chakrabarty, PhD, University of Calcutta
1980 Diamond v. Chakrabarty
AIB: Anti-Infringement Bureau for Intellectual Property Rights on Plant Material
SIPA: Seed Innovation and Protection Alliance
Jack Kloppenburg, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bill Mollison, “Father of Permaculture”
Waltham Experiment Station
City of Waltham Purchases Waltham Field Station
John Navazio, PhD, Organic Seed Alliance
Terry Ring, Gila River Farmer
Walter Goldstein, PhD, Mandaamin Institute
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