Seed Systems: The Hidden Networks Behind the Food on our Plates
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By Natalia Rodriguez Digital and Design Officer
7 July 2026
What is your favorite taco? The diversity of different ingredients to make a tasty taco makes it a difficult decision. That diversity begins long before maize is harvested for tortillas or beans are harvested for filling. It begins with seeds.
To grow food that can withstand the changing climate, adapt to local conditions and meet evolving consumer preferences, farmers need access to a wide range of crop varieties. The networks that make this possible are known as seed systems. They connect genebanks, farmers, breeders, researchers, seed producers and many others to develop, conserve, produce, exchange and distribute seeds. This ensures that farmers can access the varieties they need.
Seed systems are fundamental to the Crop Trust mission of conserving crop diversity and making it available for use. After all, crop diversity can only make a difference if farmers, researchers and breeders can access it and grow it.
Genebanks play a fundamental role in these systems. They safeguard the crop diversity – often held as seed samples – that plant breeders, researchers and farming communities rely on. These seeds can be used to develop crop varieties with valuable traits such as resilience to heat, drought conditions or new pests and diseases. Through seed systems, this diversity can move from conservation in genebanks to farmers' fields, where it supports more resilient and productive agriculture.
Understanding how seeds move from conservation to farmers’ fields is an important part of our BOLD project. Led by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in collaboration with the Crop Trust and other partners, this work combines research and practical activities. Focused on four countries, the project is exploring how more resilient and inclusive seed systems can strengthen food security.
This is where research meets practice. Through studies, partnerships and engagement with seed system actors. From conservation to use, the work explores how farmers access seeds, how crop diversity moves through communities, and how stronger seed systems can support food security and agricultural resilience
Behind every seed is a story of cultivation, exchange and adaptation. Farmers rarely rely on a single source of seed. Instead, they draw on a rich mix of their own harvests, local markets, social networks and formal seed suppliers, creating diverse pathways that help keep food systems strong.
We invite you to watch the animation and discover how the networks that connect people and seeds help shape the diversity on farms, on plates, markets and even in your favorite taco.
Categories: BOLD, Nutritional Security
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