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Seed exchanges that smallholder households perform form networks that are central to in situ agrobiodiversity conservation. Sociodemographic factors such as market accessibility and household assets could be shaping the structure of these networks and impacting diversity, however formal evidence is scarce. Through surveys in nine rural communities in the Cofre de Perote highland region in Mexico, we modeled seed exchange networks for native maize and conducted a social network analysis followed by statistical modeling. Results show that access to urban centers is negatively related to the robustness of community networks. Within communities, households with bigger plots, more time producing, sufficient maize for self-consumption, and fewer members were able to save seeds for the next cropping season and were more likely to donate seeds. Additionally, households that exchanged more produced more maize morphotypes. We conclude that the maize seed networks under study are serving as seed reservoirs for families in case of scarcity, thus contributing to food security. They are also important for in situ agrobiodiversity conservation of six maize morphotypes. However, it is necessary to promote seed exchanges between households of communities with more access to urban centers, to strengthen networks, and preserve their maize diversity and seed scarcity-dampening function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is the center of origin of maize and one of the phenomena that imperil maize conservation is transgene presence. Although previous studies have documented transgene presence in Mexican landraces, to date there is no countrywide transgene monitoring protocol, nor systematic analyses assessing which factors could be related with transgene presence and dispersal. In this work, we propose a geographically representative sampling protocol and present empirical data from three sampled states: Mexico City, Oaxaca and Chiapas. To further investigate which environmental and social variables could be associated with transgene presence, we carried out a data mining approach. To assess transgene presence in collected maize samples, we used Real-Time PCR, finding that transgenes were widely distributed across sampled localities: 33% of the localities in Chiapas, 25% in Mexico City and 11% in Oaxaca. The data mining approach allowed us to identify state-specific spatial associations in Chiapas and Oaxaca. In Chiapas, a higher probability of transgene presence appeared related to the coexistence of industrialized maize agriculture, while in Oaxaca it was related with seed exchange. We discuss the importance of implementing a national biomonitoring protocol to increase our understanding of the sources that enable transgene presence and dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a graphic illustration of consolidation in the seed industry through 2018, and how corporations control our seeds, Phil Howard tells the story of how farmers have been losing control of their seeds for quite some time (Howard [2]). From a narrowing of the genetic foundation of agriculture to the legal restrictions on the age-old practice of farmers saving their own seed and exchanging it with other farmers, the consolidation of the seed industry in the hands of 4 transnational corporations that Howard has documented is frightening. In a new post that expands this story, Howard shows how this consolidation continued to intensify just over the past 4 years, and not only involves seeds, but has now begun to capture data technology (Strömberg and Howard [7]). [Extracted from the article]

In a recent FAO Agroecology newsletter, the question was asked about how to enable agricultural extension and advisory services (EAS) to better ensure that they promote agroecology (see https://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1470230). Practices based on agroecology have emerged over the last several decades that enhance food production, strengthen rural wellbeing, and improve resilience and equity in food systems. [Extracted from the article]

The author reflects on the local seed-saving and exchange movement Basudha directed by doctor Debal Deb, an agroecologist. Topics discussed include the 940 varieties of rice seeds collected and being grown by doctor Deb, the research papers published by the journal "Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems," (ASFS), on local seed-saving and exchange movement, and the social and political markers contained in a seed.