Koreans protecting heirloom seeds to ensure biodiversity, food security

With mass production and the proliferation of agri-businesses,... heirloom seeds-- those
that are indigenous to a country's soil, untouched by genetic modification-- are being lost as
we speak.
Which is why reviving and preserving them is so crucial.
Our Oh Soo-young turns the spotlight on some of the efforts being made here in Korea.
You might get your fruit and vegetables crisply packaged and presentable from a local shop
or a megasupermarket from halfway across the world.
But a growing number of Koreans are choosing to take fresh, local produce out of a library.
With more than 140 seeds native to Korean soil,...
a "seed library" in Suwon allows farmers and area residents to grow their own plants and
organic produce, from grains and herbs to fruits and vegetables.
"Lately, there has been growing interest among the public in preserving heirloom seeds, as
they are becoming more rare.
So this library was set up in the interest of preservation.
We explain how to grow the seeds and help with technical difficulties."
The seeds can be grown at home or on a plot of land provided by the local government to
encourage more homegrown produce.
And like any good book, each seed comes with a unique story of its own.
"These are yellow lettuces.
They retain their beautiful glow as they grow.
They're soft and taste wonderful.
I got this from an elderly woman in Bonghwa, where we stayed three months to look for native
seeds.
She had received them from her late mother-in-law, who presumably got them from generations back."
In fact, some seeds are believed to date back thousands of years.
"The garlic during the time of Dangun is believed to have been similar to wild chives or this
type of garlic."
"Does it taste different from what we find in supermarkets?"
"It tastes similar to conventional garlic but the scent is unique and the spice isn't
that strong.
It's also very sweet.
Its environmental endurance is strong and it grows well without chemicals.
These are the characteristics of heirloom plants."
However,... these seeds and their age-old heritage are in danger of dying out.
With the rise of agribusiness and the mass production of crops, most farmers have been
swayed by big yields generated by imported seeds.
Ahn Wan-sik, a research veteran, has been at the forefront of saving heirloom seeds
for the last thirty years.
"About 95 percent of the crops produced in Korea now depend on imports of genetically
modified seeds that are sterilized for one-time use -- meaning that farmers must buy them
again every year with no control over what they produce.
So our 'food sovereignty' is in the hands of big agricultural corporations."
Ahn has collected roughly 20-thousand native seeds over the years,... which he has distributed
throughout the country,... setting up seed cooperatives and academies to promote their
use.
"They are our greatest genetic asset -- treasures -- passed down by our ancestors.
You can't find them anywhere else on Earth.
Having weathered the changes in climate for four-thousand years,... they are genetically
equipped to survive any further changes or food shortages brought about by climate change...
through organic farming methods."
Experts say seeds must also be preserved in the interest of protecting biodiversity.
So Korean researchers are extending their efforts to collect and store them for use
in research and development.
"We don't know what kinds of crops may be needed or in demand in the future, which is
why we must protect the diversity of indigenous crops.
We need these genetics as the basis for research and development.
Without them, there is no other source.
The same goes for other countries.
So we offer preservation services free of charge.
We hope that, in the future, this will lead to collaborative research and other efforts."
Thousands of generations all contained within one seed.
There are growing efforts in Korea to protect the country's homegrown produce, which is
more than just food on the table... it is vital to procuring a sustainable future for
generations to come.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Koreans protecting heirloom seeds to ensure biodiversity, food security

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