H2020 Farmer’s Pride

The project unites exiting initiatives such as Europe’s protected area system, seed banks, breeders and non-governmental organisations such as the ARCHE NOAH.

As a first step, surveys are conducted to gain a better understanding of the roles and interests of the people and organizations working on the in-situ conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources in Europe. The stakeholder survey of Farmer’s Pride, for instance, allows organizations and individuals who are engaged or interested in the preservation of wild and cultivated plant-diversity to contribute their knowledge. The input gained through these surveys provides a comprehensive overview of the know-how, the needs and the demands of the many actors striving to conserve the genetic diversity of Europe’s plant life.

In the upcoming months, the project will, among other issues, look at the motivation driving farmers to preserve rare crop varieties, such as the Laufener Landweizen, the Sipbachzeller Weizen, or the Rinner Winterweizen. Using a consumer-survey, the market potential of these crop varieties will be evaluated.

The results of the surveys will be used to analyse current policies and inform the drafting of policy recommendations in order to further facilitate the in-situ conservation of plant genetic resources in Europe.