Many organic farmers do not have access to seed that is optimal for their farms and regions. Often the seed they rely on was bred under high-input, chemical systems in conflict with organic principles. Seed is a farmer’s first defense in the field because it carries in its genetic code the tools to handle a range of farm challenges, such as climate and disease pressures. Organic farmers urgently need access to seed that is adapted to their organic farms and regional climates, and meets their diverse market needs.
Organic Seed Alliance is the leading organic plant breeding institution in the U.S. Our research program expands access to high-quality organic seed through collaborative breeding and variety trial networks that include organic farmers, university plant breeders, seed industry partners, and agricultural organizations. This research fulfills the following goals:
- Advancing organic plant breeding methods
- Bringing new and improved organically bred varieties to the seed marketplace
- Collecting data on how different varieties perform in organic systems
"Organic Seed Alliance has been an indispensable resource for our farm, from conducting field trials to producing seed. Organic seed is the cornerstone of our vegetable production. Without varieties that have been bred and selected for organic growing conditions, we would be left with low-vigor crops adapted to high-input farms."
Royal City, Washington