#01 Episode 1: Seeds As Time Capsules Part 1: the potential of a seed

Seeds As Time Capsules

Summer 2024

Part 1: the potential of a seed

A seed marks the beginning of a new cycle, but have you ever paused to wonder what it truly is? These tiny, mesmerizing living entities hold the blueprint of life within them – a delicate embryo surrounded by reservoirs of starch, oils, and protein, all protected by a sturdy coat. Seeds are powerful; they’re the source of the food we eat, the fibers we wear, the fuel we use, and even the materials we build with. ‘Nature’, in its brilliance, equipped seeds with the remarkable ability to enter dormancy, allowing them to withstand harsh conditions like drought or cold. This dormancy is the foundation upon which gene banks operate, preserving humanity's most essential seeds.

In the first part of “Seeds As Time Capsules,” we venture into the icy depths of a gene bank, where the genetic diversity of crop seeds and their wild relatives is safeguarded. These gene banks, such as Switzerland’s national gene bank operated by Agroscope in Changin, serve as fortresses of agricultural diversity. Here, under meticulously controlled conditions, seeds from countless plant species are preserved, ensuring that their genetic heritage remains intact for future generations. Yet, the vast diversity stored in these banks doesn’t fully reflect what we see in our fields, gardens, or on our plates today. The variety of plants we consume has dwindled drastically; just a handful of crops now dominate global food consumption, and the seed market has become concentrated in the hands of a few giants. The big four –Bayer, BASF, Corteva, and Syngenta– now control over 60 percent of the global seed market.

So, where did all that diversity go? And why don't we think about the story behind seeds when –let’s say– we throw an apple core?

More about Agroscope’s gene bank
Sam Kean on Nicolai Vavilov and the world’s first seed bank
About the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the ⁠speech of Severn Cullis-Suzuki⁠
The idea for “The Bag” character was sparked by Ursula K. Le Guin’s amazing writing. Her Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction is a must-read. We also really like the ⁠edition by Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Spector Books⁠.
A much cited and importand estimation by the Food and Acriculture Organization (FAO) (FAO, 2010), according to which the world has lost 75 percent of its food crop and seed diversity since 1900.
Public Eye⁠ and ⁠ETC group⁠ have published extensively on the concentration of the seed market. Concentrated in the hands of a few – the three companies, Bayer (formerly Monsanto), ChemChina including Syngenta, and Corteva (formerly Du Pont), and Limagrain control 60% of the global seed market (Kliem, Sievers-Glotzbach, 2022). The consolidation wave in the seed industry is ongoing (⁠Bonny, 2017⁠) and perceived as a threat by commons-based seed actors.

About the Episode

What is cultivated biodiversity and how can we stop losing more of it? At the intersection of art, activism and science, SEED CARRIERS delves into the essential practices of conserving and sharing seeds, the intricate relationships between humans and plants, and the intertwined history of plant domestication.

Episode 1 "Seeds As Time Capsules" begins with a basic description of seeds. What are these fascinating living entities we call “seeds” capable of, and how are they kept?

play the series

with the voices Beate Schierscher, Boulos Chalhoub, Deborah Macauley, József Hegyesi and Katherine Dolan.
Narration Alexandra Baumgartner, Anna Froelicher, Kim Schelbert,

Published by Verein Institut Plapamco in August 2024.

Script & Montage Alexandra Baumgartner, Anna Froelicher, Kim Schelbert, Matthias Lorimer
Music Andrew Morrison/RELAX HI-DEF
Voice Acting Deborah Mcauley
Mixing & Mastering Julia Häller
Music Mastering Daniel Good
Copy Editing Monique Todd
Graphic Design Emmanuel Crivelli/Dual Room
Animation Gina Burri
Illustration Lena Scheiwiller
Advisory Board Kenza Benabderrazik, Gilles Aubry, Simon Grab
Contributors Tubi Malcharzik, Borbála Lipka, Weronika Koralewska, Radio 3FACH

SEED CARRIERS

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IT WAS ALL FIELDS ONCE