Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality continues to support the “Seed Savers” project. The project aims to protect local seeds and transfer them to the future.
Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality continues to support studies and projects. In this context, the “SeedGuard” project, supported by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Program 2021–2027 period and coordinated by the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (DOKA), with the partnership of Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality and Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, has been implemented. The project is being implemented with three international partners: the Bulgarian Black Sea Union of Local Authorities (UBBSLA) – Bulgaria, the Global Association Project (AGP) – Romania and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) – Georgia. The project aims to protect, multiply and transfer local vegetable seeds to future generations.
THE REGION HAS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
In a statement made by the Metropolitan Municipality regarding the project, it was stated that “The aim is to protect local seeds and disseminate sustainable agricultural practices with the participation of farmers with traditional agricultural knowledge and volunteer producers in the Eastern Black Sea Region. Turkey, hosting 75 percent of the plant species in Europe, has a continental richness in terms of biodiversity. The Eastern Black Sea Region, one of the most important centers of this richness, is considered a “biodiversity hotspot” with hundreds of endemic and local plant species. In this respect, the region has a strategic importance in terms of protecting local seeds. The “Seed Savers” project is carried out under the leadership of Bulgaria in cooperation with Romania, Georgia and Turkey. With the project, seed volunteers will be identified and the production, protection and sharing of local seeds will be secured with a sustainable system through the community seed network to be established. This network will both support local producers and increase regional agricultural resilience.”
An Important Step
In addition, it was noted in the statement that training activities were continuing, and “Within the scope of the project, volunteer local seed savers are being identified and preliminary studies are being carried out to establish a community seed network. Local seed inventory is being created through farmer visits, and trainings on seed protection activities are being organized in regions where needed. In addition, training activities on seeds and biodiversity were carried out for primary school students from Trabzon, Rize and Giresun at our municipality Özdemir Bayraktar Science Center. With these activities, awareness is being raised, future farmers are being educated, and knowledge and experience are being shared. Those who want to get detailed information about the project and become volunteer seed savers can contact mine.aydin@doka.org.tr and yavuzsuayip.yalim@trabzon.bel.tr. The Seed Savers Project is an important step towards developing regional collaborations, strengthening local agriculture, and transferring healthy, resilient seeds to future generations.”
