About Benjis Seeds

Seeds for a healthy and sustainable life

Benjis Seeds embodies the living diversity of our traditional plant heritage – from ancient wild species and historically preserved cultivated varieties to new breeds developed through time-tested methods that thoughtfully expand our seed diversity in a contemporary way.

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 Philosophy

Healthy nutrition starts with the seed.

That’s why our goal in Portugal is to build an independent organic agriculture with and for the community - to preserve the diversity of wild plant species, feral varieties, and traditional cultivated crops, and to propagate them ecologically.

We provide interested individuals with traditional seeds, seedlings, and fresh vegetables, and share our knowledge about ecological seed propagation and self-sufficiency.

The silent displacement of our food culture.

In recent decades, the quality and diversity of our food has significantly declined. Today’s agricultural industry increasingly relies on hybrid varieties, genetic engineering, and biotechnology — methods that contribute to the displacement of traditional crops, reduce biodiversity, and threaten the very foundation of human life.

We consciously rely on a time-tested foundation:

the original path of organic farming has long proven to be stable, productive, and sustainable. By using open-pollinated seeds, we promote biodiversity, food sovereignty, and agriculture that harmonizes with both nature and humanity — for fertile soils, healthy nutrition, and future generations.

Our Guiding Principles

Seeds are our culture.

Out of ecological responsibility, we focus on preserving diverse and genetically stable varieties, distributing open-pollinated traditional seeds, and promoting a holistic, ecological approach to working with plants, animals, and people.

Our focus is on a vital cultural heritage: seeds.

Preserving and passing it on is, for us, an active contribution to safeguarding human diversity and independence.

To ensure the future of seed preservation, we operate independently of state structures and actively promote traditional seed propagation. In doing so, we can collectively and effectively contribute to the free, community-based safeguarding of crop diversity and food sovereignty.

Quality and Sustainability

Sustainable quality for healthy diversity.

Seed reproducibility is a vital foundation for us — essential to our health, independence, and the continued development of our cultivated plants. Quality is our top priority. That’s why we regularly conduct germination tests, vigor assessments, and plant health inspections.

Organic standards without the label.

Due to the legal requirements of the Seed Marketing Act, we consciously refrain from obtaining a paid organic certification, as it is often economically unfeasible for small, independent projects. Nevertheless, we fully comply with all standards outlined in the regulation. Some of our seeds have already been organically certified by other breeders. However, without an official paid license, we are legally prohibited from publicly labeling or selling our seeds under the protected term “organic seeds.”

Together for vibrant diversity.

All of our varieties are open-pollinated and can be reliably saved and propagated in home gardens over many years. Our seeds come from our own cultivation, traditional breeding, and wild plant collections. Through collaboration with breeders, associations, and networks across Europe, we strengthen the shared vision of preserving a rich diversity of plant varieties using time-tested methods — from vegetables and fruits to medicinal and wild plants.

Promoting Diversity

Why traditional vegetable varieties are disappearing from the market.

Many traditional varieties, like the ones we offer, are considered economically unviable by the industry and have been removed from official seed catalogs. The consequences are already noticeable: less flavor, reduced shelf life, and a shrinking selection in markets and supermarkets.

Seed preservation as a collective responsibility.

Our work actively counters this loss — through preservation, propagation, and sharing. Because only through the collective commitment of many people can projects, breeders, and seed-saving networks fulfill their mission and effectively combat the extinction of biodiversity.

Sharing our seeds helps preserve biodiversity — and aims to give as many people as possible access to healthy, flavorful, and resilient varieties.

Transparency & Brand Positioning

Our initiative: Common good instead of profit.

Benjis Seeds is a common-good oriented initiative. Our goal is to preserve and share open-pollinated seeds, heirloom varieties, and plant diversity - for healthy nutrition, self-sufficiency, and 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 seeds. This initiative emerged in response to the widespread decline in plant diversity, aiming to share knowledge, preserve variety, and encourage people to sow, harvest, and become independent themselves.

Seed sharing - strengthening the initiative.

We don’t work for profit. Yet, of course, our work generates 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’s why we ask for donations and provide seeds in return for a fixed contribution to cover costs.

Go to our donation page

What we 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 are not acting on behalf of corporations or driven by financial interests. Our focus is on preserving diversity — not on profit.

What we choose to do.

We share seeds, knowledge, and inspiration — with people who want to take action 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.

Get to know our unique varieties — and contribute to the preservation of plant diversity through your seed purchase.

Discover seeds

Legal notice:

This initiative serves the preservation of plant diversity and pursues no commercial interests.

Our actions are grounded in international law, particularly the human right to food and food sovereignty.

Some of our varieties are not listed in the official seed catalog and are shared exclusively through private, non-commercial exchange.

Traditional Seeds for Your Garden & Balcony

Proven Varieties – Organic, Resilient, and Full of Flavor

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