State of Organic Seed

Organic seed is part of the solution to agriculture’s most troubling trends – from climate change to corporate consolidation to GMOs

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State of Organic Seed

A report by Organic Seed Alliance

Full Report: State of Organic Seed, 2022 Learn More

About

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Organic farmers produce food differently, and that means they need different seed for the crops they grow: seed developed to thrive without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and adapted to their local climate and soil conditions. Organic food should begin with organic seed, but right now most organic farmers rely on seed that isn't organic.

State of Organic Seed is an ongoing project of Organic Seed Alliance to monitor organic seed systems in the U.S. Every five years, OSA releases this progress report and action plan for increasing the organic seed supply while fostering seed grower networks and policies that aim to decentralize power and ownership in seed systems.

More than ever, organic seed is viewed as the foundation of organic integrity and an essential component to furthering the principles underpinning the organic movement. We are proud to share our 2022 findings.

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“As a social movement, we have long believed that organic seed can take a distinct path from the dominant conventional seed industry, where consolidation and privatization are key strategies. Organic seed systems have an opportunity to be defined not by what they exclude—such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and synthetic chemical pesticides—but by what they embrace: collaboration, cultural heritage, diversity, fairness, health, beauty, and hope.”


Learn why organic seed is important

Why Organic Seed?

Organic seed is part of the solution to some daunting problems in agriculture: changing climates, market consolidation, and pesticides in our environment. Organic seed can support agricultural resiliency, choice for farmers, and a healthier planet.

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Key Findings

Certified organic growers are required to source organic seed when commercially available, but our findings show that most organic growers still plant some non-organic seed for at least part (if not all) of their operations. Unfortunately, our newest findings show no meaningful improvement in organic seed usage since our 2016 report.

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What You Can Do

Choose organic seed!

Help us grow a healthier future beginning with organic seed.

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Join the Movement

We can grow a healthier future beginning with organic seed – but not without you. Your generous support will help us advance the organic seed recommendations in this report through research, education, and advocacy. Every dollar helps!

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