I was delighted to travel earlier this month to Antibes in the south east of France to take part in the 13th Annual Forum of the Let's Liberate Diversity network. This European network brings together multiple stakeholders involved in seed saving and production to encourage, develop and promote the dynamic management of cultivated biodiversity on farms and in gardens. 

Sunrise over Antibes

I have been going to these annual forums for the last three years and each time I go, I learn and discover new aspects and perspectives related to seed saving; from policy and production to latest research and best practice. This year's forum was extra special as it was combined with the Sème ta Rèsistance International Gathering, which brings together Seed Farmers from all over the world every 4 years. 

With over 500 participants from all over the world, and the theme of Seeds and Migration, the gathering had many fascinating workshops, presentations and opportunities for networking. 

World map for participants to pin their location

It was at a previous forum that I connected with the RADIANT project which gave us technical and funding support for our dye plant variety trials. My current focus, as we are developing our dye plant seed catalogue, is in quality organic seed production. During this forum I joined a number of workshops on seed health through drying and storing and the seed microbiome; mostly run by LiveSeeding, which is a European funded project dedicated to promoting the growth of organic seed and plant breeding for a transition to a more sustainable local food system.  

We also had the pleasure of promoting our research on dye plant varieties at the Saturday fair through which I met some very interesting people and potential future collaborators.

The next Lets Liberate Diversity Forum will be held in Luxembourg on the 4th to 6th of September 2025