Creole seeds guardians of Ibarama/RS: context and difficulties

Abstract

The search for sustainability in agroecosystems is increasingly urgent today, with family farming playing a key role in ensuring food sovereignty and security for communities. However, the maintenance of creole genotypes—and consequently the perpetuation of plant species—depends fundamentally on the work of creole seed guardians. In the small town of Ibarama, RS (Brazil), farmers who are part of the Association of Creole Seeds Guardians are leading efforts to rescue, preserve, and multiply creole seeds. Despite their resistance to conventional agriculture, they face challenges and difficulties in conserving these genetic materials on rural properties. The weaknesses and threats of this Association were identified using the SWOT Matrix methodology, where actions related to the need to formulate public policies to encourage sustainable agriculture to avoid genetic erosion. These include the urgent need for public policies that promote sustainable agriculture in order to counteract genetic erosion caused by climate-related issues or contamination with transgenic genes. Therefore, the in situ/on-farm conservation of these cultivars is essential to ensuring food production and sustaining life on our planet.