Our Global Reach

We are based in Australia and have run the national Seed Savers’ Network here since 1986. However since 1992 we have worked in other countries. In summary we  have:
•    worked on seed saving in thirty-three countries
•    trained fifty-eight interns from fourteen countries
•    helped twenty-three interns to work on seed saving projects in nine countries
•    channelled small grants to thirty-five food biodiversity projects around the globe

•    filmed in fifteen countries and from that footage produced a one hour documentary for the people of Melanesia

Please see more details on these activities below

Working in Other Countries

We have given training and presentations, filmed or recorded in these countries:
•    South Africa (1992)
•    Palau, Micronesia (1994)
•    Solomon Islands (1995, 2000, 03, 05, 07, 08)
•    UK (1996)
•    Italy (1996, 2006)
•    Tonga (1996)
•    Samoa (1996 and 2008)
•    Fiji (1996)
•    Cuba (1996)
•    USA (1997)
•    India (1997, 99, 2001, 06)
•    Cambodia (1998)
•    Borneo, Malaysia (1998)
•    Zimbabwe (1998)
•    Nepal (1999)
•    Philippines (2001)
•    France (2001, 05, 06)
•    Kenya (1999)
•    Japan (2000, 2002) 
•    Autonomous region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (2002)
•    Afghanistan (2002, 2003) See an article and images on our work with the Faculty of Agriculture in Herat 
•    East Timor (2002)
•    Ecuador (2003)
•    Columbia (2003)
•    New Zealand (2004)
•    Taiwan (2005, 06, 07, 08)
•    Spain (2006)
•    Papua New Guinea (2006 and 09)
•    Sri Lanka (2007)
•    China (2008)
•    Vietnam (2008)
•    American Samoa (2008)
•    Vanuatu (2008 and 2009)

Training Interns

In addition, at our Seed Centre in Byron Bay, Australia we have trained interns for periods of one week to six months from these countries:
•    Australia (19, plus 114 one-week course students from 1997 to 2005)
•    Solomon Islands (4)
•    Papua New Guinea (1)
•    UK (4)
•    USA (7)
•    Italy (1)
•    Germany (2)
•    South Africa (2)
•    Japan (10)
•    South Korea (2)
•    Cambodia (1)
•    East Timor (3)
•    Puerto Rico (1)
•    Argentina (1)

Helping Place Interns in Seed Projects

We have assisted some of our interns to travel to volunteer in seed saving projects in:
•    India (3 interns, 2 projects)
•    Solomon Islands (2 interns, 1 project)
•    Brazil (1 intern, 1 project)
•    Ecuador (5 interns, 3 projects)
•    Japan (6 interns, several projects)
•    East Timor (4 interns, several projects)
•    Cuba (1 intern, 1 project)
•    Malawi (1 intern, 1 project)
•    Korea (2 interns, 1 project)

Channeling Small Grants to Seed Projects

Seed Savers Network has channelled small grants to support seed saving projects in:
•    Australia (publishing Alice Springs Garden Companion, creating resources for Local Seed Networks, book parcels to overseas projects, school gardens book production)
•    Solomon Islands (Melanesian Farmer First Network - meeting of farmers from other Melanesian countries and visit of spice farms in Vanuatu; Planting Material Network - provide seed banking items and training on traditional food to the island of Tikopia; seed training for staff; production of Community Seed Saving book)
•    Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (Paru Paru Education Centre, seed saving project)
•    Bulgaria (The Community Genetic Resources Center, heritage varieties of fruits orchard)
•    Italy (Civilta Contadina, historical orchard near Cesena)
•    Cambodia (Dept of Women’s Affairs, Pursat, seed saving training)
•    Indonesia (IDEP in Bali, educational materials on seed saving)
•    India (seed saving projects, establishing community seed banks, training community seed bank worker in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Ladakh and Tibetan refugee settlement)
•    Afghanistan (Faculty of Agriculture, Herat University, labels for fruit trees, seed saving equipment)
•    Cuba (adaptation of Spanish translation of Seed Savers’ Handbook to Cuban conditions)
•    Ecuador (Red de Semillas, expand national seed network)
•    Brazil (training on Seeds for Life project with former intern, Julia Desbrosses)
•    Argentina (Italian intern to travel there and train Salvadores de Semillas, expand seed network)