About our Initiative — Our Values and Vision

About Benjis Seeds

Seeds for a healthy and sustainable life

Benjis Seeds is committed to preserving and passing on open‑pollinated seeds, old varieties and our traditional plant diversity – we offer a diversity of old wild species and historically handed‑down cultivated varieties as well as new varieties that have been developed using proven methods and that contemporarily expand our variety diversity.

We work in harmony with nature through ecological cycles:

100% free from hybridization, genetic engineering, patents, and synthetic additives.

Rooted in tradition, all our varieties are open-pollinated and promote a self-determined, nature-connected way of life through free and fair access to seeds.
To keep plant traditions and genetic diversity alive, we share knowledge, inspire, educate, and connect people – for today’s and tomorrow’s generations.

Our focus – open‑pollinated seeds & old varieties

Healthy nutrition starts with the seed

That’s why we are building an independent ecological farming initiative in Portugal — with and for the community — to preserve and organically multiply the diversity of wild plant species, feral varieties and traditional cultivated crops. At the same time, we collaborate with initiatives across Europe to protect and expand this diversity, ensuring that old, regional and rare varieties are preserved across borders and find their way back into our gardens and onto our plates.

We provide interested people with traditional seeds, seedlings and fresh vegetables and pass on our knowledge about ecological seed propagation and self‑sufficiency.

Why preserving our varietal diversity is essential

The quiet erosion of our food culture has long become reality. Over recent decades, the quality and diversity of our food have declined significantly. Today’s agricultural industry increasingly relies on hybrid varieties, genetic engineering and biotechnological methods — developments that displace traditional varieties, reduce biodiversity and ultimately threaten the very foundation of human life.

Our path

We consciously rely on a time‑honoured foundation: the traditional, ecologically rooted way of farming that has proven stable, productive and sustainable for generations. By using open‑pollinated seeds, we strengthen biodiversity, food sovereignty and an agriculture that respects both nature and people — for fertile soils, healthy nutrition and a community‑supported, economically self‑determined life.

Our guiding principles – varietal preservation & varietal diversity

Seeds are our culture

Out of ecological responsibility, our focus is on preserving diverse and genetically stable varieties, distributing open‑pollinated, traditional seeds and practising a holistic, ecological approach to plants, animals and people.

Our focus is directed toward a central piece of cultural heritage: seed

Preserving and passing on seed is, for us, an active contribution to protecting diversity and strengthening people’s independence.

For future‑proof seed preservation, we work independently of state structures and specifically promote traditional seed propagation. In this way, we jointly make an effective contribution to the free, communal preservation of variety diversity and food sovereignty.

Quality and sustainability – GMO‑free seeds and open access to seed

Sustainable quality for healthy diversity

For us, seed reproducibility is a fundamental requirement — for health, independence and the continued development of our cultivated plants. Quality is our top priority. That’s why we regularly carry out germination tests, vigour assessments and plant‑health examinations.

Organic standards without the label

Due to the legal requirements of the Seed Marketing Act, we consciously refrain from paid organic certification, as it is often economically unfeasible for small, independent projects. Nevertheless, we meet all standards defined within it. Some of our seeds have already been organically certified by other growers. However, without the corresponding paid licence, we are legally not permitted to label or sell our seeds publicly under the protected term “organic seed”.

Together for vibrant diversity

All our varieties are capable of being reproduced and can be stably propagated in your own garden over many years. Our seeds come from our own propagation, from traditional breeding and from wild collections. Our Europe‑wide cooperation with breeders, associations and networks strengthens the prospect of maintaining a large diversity of varieties using proven methods – from vegetables and fruit to medicinal and wild plants.

Support for diversity – heirloom vegetables & wild plant seeds

Why traditional vegetable varieties are disappearing from the market

Many old varieties like the ones we offer are considered economically uninteresting by the industry and have been removed from official seed catalogues. The consequences are already noticeable: less flavour, shorter shelf life and an increasingly limited selection in shops.

Seed preservation as a collective responsibility

Our work counteracts this development — through preservation, propagation and sharing. Only through the collective commitment of many people can projects, initiatives, breeders and seed‑saving networks fulfil their mission and actively prevent the loss of diversity.

The sharing of our seeds serves the preservation of diversity and is intended to give as many people as possible access to healthy, flavourful and robust varieties.

Transparency & positioning – a public‑benefit seed initiative

Our initiative: Common good instead of profit

Benjis Seeds is a community‑oriented initiative. Our goal is to preserve and pass on open‑pollinated seeds, old varieties and plant diversity – for healthy nutrition, for self‑sufficiency and for future generations. Our motivation is the preservation of diversity – not economic profit.

We see ourselves as part of a community committed to food sovereignty, ecological responsibility and free access to seed. This initiative emerged in response to the widespread decline in plant diversity — to share knowledge, preserve diversity and encourage people to sow, harvest and become independent.

Passing on seeds – strengthening the initiative

We do not work for profit. Nevertheless, our work involves costs – for cultivation, care, packaging, shipping, markets, website and much more. To secure our livelihood and continue the initiative sustainably, we depend on support. That is why we are very grateful for donations and pass on seeds for a fixed contribution to cover costs.

To the donation page

What we consciously choose not to do

We do not operate a commercial online shop. We do not sell certified varieties as defined by the Seed Marketing Act. We do not act on behalf of corporations or with economic interests. Our focus is on preserving diversity, not on profit.

What we consciously choose to do

We share seeds, knowledge and inspiration – with people who want to become active themselves. We promote a culture of sharing, self‑sufficiency and ecological responsibility. And we stand up for an inalienable human right: free access to healthy and diverse food.

Discover our variety diversity – and support the preservation of diversity with your seed purchase!

Discover varietal diversity