Heirloom seeds’ purity problem: tradition must not trump adaptation

An ‘heirloom mixologist’ urges us to stop freezing plants in time and instead go full-on sci-fi for a more biodiverse future

I want to talk about the problematic concept of heirloom seeds. Now, this will probably will cause some trouble, as criticizing heirlooms is like picking a fight with everyone’s favorite granny. Or – given that heirlooms are often seen as the only alternative to a seed industry dominated by patents and global profiteering – this could come across as kicking David in the balls as he stands before Goliath. But in our current times of climate chaos, seed and food systems need to be able to change and adapt. As a farmer who cares about sustainable agriculture, I know that growing food is getting more difficult and it is high time to embrace dynamic and regional seed diversity.

Humans have been saving seeds since the dawn of agriculture. For the most part, people and seeds have long been in a dialogue of ever-changing genetics, environmental conditions, cuisines, cultures and curiosity. Seeds have changed us, and we have changed them, sometimes without even trying.