Chile's 'seed guardians' protect biodiversity

A group of farmers in Chile, called "seed guardians", are working to preserve and distribute crop varieties that have cultural or biodiversity significance and may be in danger of disappearing. Others in Latin America may follow with varied goals, but overall they aim to improve the environment and agricultural diversity.

Some of these seed guardians are private companies while others are nonprofit organizations. One example is the Chilean supplier of native seeds and plants called Chileflora, which lists 241 seed varieties and 2,202 plants in its catalog — varieties such as Chilean palm, which remains endangered because of factors such as the limited availability of seeds, according to the Chilean National Forest Corporation.

Another group, Semilla Austral, consisting of 40 farming families in Chile, is working to address the disappearance of agricultural and food biodiversity.