Vanishing Food Biodiversity – restart locally

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Biodiversity, in relation to our food sources, is all about the thousands of different types of edible foods nature has provided for all human life at this time, and for future generations to come.

Biodiversity is the link between all types of organisms found on the planet. Each particular life form has its link in the Earth’s web of life. Even if the smallest of organisms breaks down, it will threaten the balance of the entire ecosystem.  Causes of this severe breakdown in our traditional food systems are debatable. Climate change, the steady decline in the number of farmers, small seed companies being bought out by big corporations – as well as human activity – are just a few of the major reasons suspected. Human beings are thought to be the most dangerous cause of all.

Big corporations that are acquiring most of the seed market, on the entire planet, gives these few companies a dangerously high amount of power over the worlds food supply. These few companies have the power to patent their seed varieties. Once they have a patent on any type of food crop, they can then prevent anyone else from exchanging or saving those seeds. Humans have saved seeds for their next seasons crops since humans first learned to grow their own food. For people all over the planet, especially the poorest of countries, this means the end of a natural way of acquiring crops for the next seasons harvest.