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projects / seed centre

Save your seeds, preserve our heritage

Project Aim and Introduction

It is understood that the current habits of the evolving agricultural systems within south east Asia, including Laos, are damaging the diversity of our landscape and the rights of our farmers will soon be under threat form persuasive international patent laws, mechanized farming and the demand of the economy. In sight of this Vang vieng Organic farm feels the urgency to assist in preserving the regions bio diversity and heritage and to ensure the rights of local farmers to have access to seed, specifically organic, non hybrid seed.

Vang Vieng organic farm is starting a new initiative to preserve the diversity and integrity of the local environment by developing a seed centre. The fundamental aims of this project are

  • make available seeds to support local health by propagating nutritional and medicinal plants within the community and on the farm
  • highlight the relationship between local flora and local heritage
  • provide accessible and local technologies for villagers in terms of; saving seed, maintaining diversity and propagation and
  • disseminate information of international law and its affects on farmers rights.

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Further explanation of these points follow …

1. Make available seeds to support local health by propagating nutritional and medicinal plants within the community and on the farm.

propagating nutritional and medicinal plants

It is the intention of VVOF to propagate and preserve species of plants that are under threat from slash and burn practices, making available and accessible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants that are only now only available from deep within the forest.

community seed growing

In order to most effective, the farm intends to encourage local farmers to grow specific plants and save seed for a community seed centre. This will enable us to preserve more seed and provide a wider range of seed to locals.

Participants in the community seed centre will have free access to the seeds of the centre. In terms of exchange.

Farm seed centre

  • IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE FARM TO FACILITATE SHARING, NOT TO HAVE A MONOPOLY ON SEED.
  • To develop the seed centre the farm will market by products from its own nursery.
  • Share, with seed centre members, the benefits of any commercial activity in relation to the selling of seed.
  • Sell seed at reasonable prices to those who are not involved and provide a refund if twice as much seed is returned.
  • If appropriate the farm will encourage collaborative selling.

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2. Highlight and encourage the relationship between local flora and local heritage

The most fundamental and unique possession of Lao is its diversity. Both its diversity anthropologically and ecologically. To encourage the preservation of the regions bio diversity, Vang Vieng organic farm will highlight the traditions of the regions peoples in the following ways.

  • Provide literature on traditions in relation to plants
  • T shirts to spread issues of concern
  • Heavily illustrated (concerning literacy) instructions on how to propagate successfully.
  • Sell organic, natural and traditional products (natural dyes, paper, thread, bowls, silk, refer to book)
  • Have a display for visitors.

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3. Demonstrate accessible and local technologies for villagers in terms of; saving seed, maintaining diversity and propagation.

All technology used at the seed centre will be appropriate and accessible enabling visitors and participants to mimic methods. The seed centre will demonstrate and share information on how to:

  • collect, dry, store and propagate seed
  • document and register the development of plants (as a form of protection against patent laws)
  • developing fertile soil organically
  • companion planting
  • to use particular plants and what there benefits are

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4. Disseminate information of international law and its affects on farmers rights.

It is vital to encourage farmers to continue to save seed, and to explain why. This can be done by

  • Distributing VCD’s that document farmers concerns from other communities, national and international.
  • Providing simple literature
  • Other awareness campaigns
  • Organic and seed saver standard labeling

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