Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

Date of latest update: 2026-09-07

Description

Description (EN):

In many countries of the world, including in the Black Sea region, a decrease in the diversity of plant genetic resources (PGR), considered a significant factor for environmental protection and mitigating the effect of climate change, is reported with concern. Particularly alarming is the systematically increasing loss of traditional local, authentic, old varieties of vegetables grown by small farmers, heirloom gardeners and hobby growers. These vegetables are increasingly losing the battle to the ones industrially produced, even though they are in daily demand and are preferred by the customers on the market, regardless of their higher prices. According to the UN FAO, local and indigenous varieties of food may have 1000 times the nutrient content of the more common varieties, which makes them extremely valuable for the humanity. This makes this proposal of high contribution to the people’s healthy diet. The decline in the production of local traditional vegetables leads to the loss of their seeds as genetic resource. In seed stores, the share of the traditional vegetable seeds is very small, if any. Authentic vegetable seeds can only be found from small agro-producers who continue to harvest and store seeds for their next production using traditional old methods. The increasing inaccessibility of seeds of traditional local vegetable varieties has engaged the attention of scientists and drove policy measures and actions of many national governments, the national genetic banks and a number of representative institutions, such as the Biodiversity International, the EC, the UN, etc. In Europe, the Scandinavian genetic bank, NordGen, is very active in reviving old vegetable landraces. The UN FAO initiated a legally binding global agreement, into force in 2004, the "International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture", ITPGRFA, for the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, for sustainable agriculture and food security. Currently, it has 149 Contracting Parties (countries) including the EU. One of the actively implemented practical solutions in some countries is the creation of local community seed collections (CSCs) and community seed banks (CSBs), to store the seeds of old local traditional vegetables for reproduction and expansion of their territory. CSCs and CSBs are created, maintained and operated by local vegetable producers and communities, which are recognized by the international organizations as the contributors to the diversity of crops that feed the people and are part of a system to provide farmers and plant breeders with seeds and the scientists with access to plant genetic materials. CSCs and CSBs are instrumental for mitigation of climate change and guaranteeing the food security of communities and citizens in general. They also support agrobiodiversity, healthy food production and diversity of food products on the market. The local authentic traditional vegetables have built integrity with the surrounding environment during a long period of time and have adapted to it. This makes them more resilient to diseases than industrial hybrid vegetable varieties which allow growing them without using artificial stimulants (chemicals). With this project, we will establish CSCs on pilot territories of the PPs countries with a prospect to become CSBs at a next stage, with modern equipment for full potential and functionality and support from the national gene banks and research institutes, as part of enabling ecosystem environment for their sustenance. The members of the CSCs will be selected among small farmers, heirloom and hobby gardeners from the local communities after a careful procedure. Public media campaigns will be announced for collection of seeds of local vegetable landraces, thus giving a good example to follow by other Black Sea territories. The following outputs will result from the activities’ execution: Development and introduction of the innovative CSBs model in the pilot locations; Capacity building activities for the target groups including training & tutoring actions and organization of peer review exchange meetings of the seeds providers; Info events organized on the PPs territories for raising awareness and stimulation of joint initiatives for seeds’ preservation; Digital tools promoting CSCs in the four pilot territories; A Policy Document with recommendations for measures to be taken by policy and decision makers in support of the CSCs. SeedGuard is a partnership initiative of four partners representing four Black Sea countries: the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities as a lead partner, the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (Turkey), the Association Global Project (Romania) and the National Association of Local Authorities (Georgia).

Actual Achievements (EN):

The preservation of traditional vegetables and landraces represents a priceless resource with the potential to prevent future food crises both globally and across the Black Sea region. Traditional seeds are essential for maintaining biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, and ensuring sustainable agricultural systems for generations to come. The Black Sea countries face serious challenges related to the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, which is rapidly disappearing. Addressing these challenges requires urgent policy actions and coordinated efforts that simultaneously improve agricultural productivity, reinforce food security, and safeguard valuable plant genetic resources. Among the most significant obstacles is the limited local capacity to collect, store, manage, and sustainably utilize seeds from traditional vegetable varieties. While the concept of Community Seed Collections (CSCs) and Community Seed Banks (CSBs) is not new to the Black Sea Basin, no structured initiatives of this kind have been formally established so far. The exchange of heritage seeds has largely depended on informal sharing among individuals and social networks — the only channel through which many traditional varieties can still be accessed. Strategic vision at the policy level regarding the on-farm cultivation, conservation, and multiplication of traditional vegetable varieties has been largely missing. The Black Sea project SEEDGUARD – Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation has proposed a solution to address these challenges as a joint initiative of four partner organizations: the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA), the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (DOKA), the Association Global Projects (AGP), and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG). The project's core objective was to trigger the accelerating loss of traditional vegetable varieties by establishing Community Seed Collections (CSCs) in four pilot rural regions: Varna (Bulgaria), Galați (Romania), Trabzon (Türkiye), and Tbilisi (Georgia). These CSCs were designed as sustainable, inclusive models for preserving heritage vegetable seeds as valuable plant genetic resources, while making them accessible to local growers for reproduction and cultivation. The initiative engaged a broad range of stakeholders — small-scale producers, civil society organizations, local communities, public institutions, and decision-makers — ensuring wide participation in both the establishment and ongoing operation of the CSCs. Specialized training sessions introduced participants to the CSC concept and its principles of operation, drawing on international good practices. Participatory meetings, stakeholder workshops, peer-review camps, study visits, and international events facilitated experience exchange among partners and local communities, contributing to enhanced food security, healthy food production, and the preservation of vital ecosystem services. A key achievement was the formalization of cooperation protocols between DOKA and the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, providing a strong institutional foundation for sustaining project results beyond its lifetime. Partners also engaged policy-makers across all participating countries, proposing measures to support CSC development and promoting networking models connecting community seed initiatives with national gene banks — facilitating the exchange of knowledge on sustainable agricultural diversity management. All methodologies, tools, and training materials developed through the project are publicly accessible via the partners' websites: UBBSLA: //www.ubbsla.org/project/project-seedguard/ DOKA: https://www.doka.org.tr/haberler_Ata-Tohumu-Icin-Uluslararasi-Isbirligi-TR.html AGP: https://globalproject.ro/seedguard/ NALAG: https://nala.ge which ensures replicability across the Black Sea region and beyond. In the long term, the established CSCs are expected to generate revenues through product- and process-oriented services, contribute to local employment, and strengthen agricultural initiatives rooted in living heritage. The applied holistic multi-actor and multi-level approach which brought together scientists, rural communities, businesses, policy and decision makers for supporting the CSCs in favor of biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services and climate adaptation have enabled the transferability of the project results through the BSB academic, business and public networks. Post-project activities will be supported by revenues, generated from product process oriented services to be provided by the established CSCs in the 4 BSB countries. The CSCs will also contribute to the foster employment opportunities by enhancing customer support-oriented selling advantages ensuring community resilience for a greener and cleaner BS region.

Project outputs: Capacity building package(EN)
Methodology for joint planning and establishment of 4 community seed collections in 4 BSB countries(EN)
Public events jointly organized in 4 Black Sea countries(EN)
Transnational cooperation network(EN)

Thematic information

Governance, partnership Agriculture and fisheries and forestry Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_BSB_P2) Clean and Green Region

Priority specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 171 Enhancing cooperation with partners both within and outside the Member State

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Асоциация на Българските Черноморски Общини

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 969558457

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 103133943 | n/a | n/a (EN)

Department: Regional Development

Address: Preslav, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

Department address: Preslav, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.ubbsla.org

Total budget: EUR 166 992.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 150 292.80

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 16 699.20

საქართველოს ადგილობრივ თვითმმართველობათა ეროვნული ასოციაცია

Name: საქართველოს ადგილობრივ თვითმმართველობათა ეროვნული ასოციაცია

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 940990502

Partner’s ID if not PIC: n/a | 200 125 676 | Contract Registration Number: 1/9-144 (EN)

Address: Beliashvili, Business Center Balanchini Plaza, 0159 Tbilisi, Georgia

Department address: Beliashvili, Business Center Balanchini Plaza, 0159 Tbilisi, Georgia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.nala.ge

Total budget: EUR 105 336.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 94 802.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 10 533.60

Asociatia Global Project

Name: Asociatia Global Project

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 883172876

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 29760772 | n/a | n/a (EN)

Address: George Cosbuc, 800350 Galati, Romania

Department address: George Cosbuc, 800350 Galati, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.globalproject.ro

Total budget: EUR 111 384.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 100 245.60

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 11 138.40

Doğu Karadeniz Kalkınma Ajansı

Name: Doğu Karadeniz Kalkınma Ajansı

Department: Eastern Black Sea Development Agency

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 929129245

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 3090338132 | n/a | n/a (EN)

Address: Nemlioğlu, 61100 Trabzon, Turkey

Department address: Nemlioğlu, 61100 Trabzon, Turkey

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Other

Website: http://www.doka.org.tr

Total budget: EUR 105 336.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 94 802.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 10 533.60

Contractors:

Name: Mine Aydın
VAT registration or tax identification number: 35206914134
Name: Elifnaz Akdeniz
VAT registration or tax identification number: 13981639404
Name: Mehmet Bozdoğan
VAT registration or tax identification number: 33257272180
Name: Tamaris Tur Trabzon AŞ Novotel
VAT registration or tax identification number: 8170010182
Name: İdeal Renkler
VAT registration or tax identification number: 33257272180
Name: Karden Turizm
VAT registration or tax identification number: 5230051650

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia

Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Partners and Projects info

Association Global Project

Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Partners and Projects info

Eastern Black Sea Development Agency

Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Partners and Projects info

Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities

Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Project acronym: SEEDGUARD

Project ID: BSB00450

Project start date: 2024-07-11

Project end date: 2026-01-10

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

Project: "DIVERISIFOOD - Embedding crop diversity and networking for local high quality food systems", funded by the EU Horizon 2022 programme. (EN) | We will capitalise on the findings and conclusions of the EU Horizon 2022 DIVERSIFOOD project “Embedding crop diversity and networking for local high quality food systems”, coordinated by the Institut National De Recherche Pour L' Agriculture, L'Alimentation L'Environnemennt, France with 22 participating research institutes from 12 European countries /https://diversifood.eu/project/. We established contacts and communicated with the experts who executed the DIVERSIFOOD project. The project is working to strengthen the “food culture” to achieve local high quality food systems and covering the whole food chain: from genetic resources to marketing, connecting all the different actors involved. (EN), Project: “eNEET Rural – Facilitating entrepreneurship and improving skills of NEETs in rural areas”, funded by EEA and Norway Grants for Youth Employment and leaded by UBBSLA (EN) | The UBBSLA will step on the achievements from the transnational project: “eNEET Rural – Facilitating entrepreneurship and improving skills of NEETs in rural areas” funded by EEA Grants for Youth Employment, during which over 200 young unemployed people were trained in agricultural skills /WWW.ENEET-PROJECT.EU/. More than 10% of them have been recruited in the agricultural sector. As leading the consortium of seven partners, the UBBSLA will use the methodology for involvement of target groups and offer training and tutoring actions. (EN), Project: “Filled Granary Einkorn Wheat Production", realized by DOKA in cooperation with local NGO – ŞAVKADER in Turkiey. (EN) | DOKA has realized a project entitled: “Filled Granary Einkorn Wheat Production Project” in cooperation with NGO - ŞAVKADER , the results of which will be applied in SeedGuard. The project aimed to maintain Türkiye's unrivaled world leadership in production in parallel with this leadership in hazelnut R&D studies, by making the Hazelnut Research Center located in Giresun, the only subject research institute in the world conducting research in the field of hazelnuts, a world-class research center. (EN), Project “Regional Business Incubators’ Network - Black Sea”, BI-Net”, funded by the Black Sea Programme 2014-2020, implemented by AGP (EN) | AGP will capitalize the approach used within the transnational project“Regional Business Incubators’ Network - Black Sea”, BI-Net”, funded by the Black Sea Programme 2014-2020. The overall objective to accelerate the development of a productive and competitive economy and improve cooperation and networking among stakeholders in five BSB countries. (EN), Project: “Rural Development in Racha-Lechkhumi”, funded by the SDC Programme, implemented by NALAG which supported the poverty reduction in Racha-Lechkhumi region. (EN) | NALAG will apply the accumulated relevant experience during the project: “Rural Development in Racha-Lechkhumi”, realized in cooperation with CARE International in Caucasus and funded by the SDC Programme, which supported the poverty reduction in Racha-Lechkhumi region. Within the project framework Socio-economic plans have been developed for 4 NALAG member- municipalities to promote M4P (market for poor) methodology and address the climate change issue requiring improved disaster risk management of local authorities. (EN)

Relevant mentions and prizes:

SEEDGUARD has been recognized for its multi-stakeholder and cross border approach within the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin framework. Intentionally it was awarded in the “”Together It’s Possible” Category of TISK Common Futures Awards Programme 2025 (Ortak Yarınlar), organized annually by the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK). It was one of the 26th awarded projects among over 300 applications.(EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 489 048.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 440 143.20

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 90.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

SeaBasinStrategyBlackSea Farmers rights in access to seeds as a vital ecosystem service and integrity element of biodiversity are interpreted by partnership in the project activities in line with the EC Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and the EU Regulation No 511/2014 of the EU Parliament and of The Council of 16 April 2014 on compliance measures for users from the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the Union, as a step within the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Awareness and other events are envisaged for collecting public opinion and capacity building and also to initiate collective thinking and biodiversity respect. These forums are meant as an excellent opportunity for farmers, NGO’s and institutional stakeholders to come together, openly discuss and share, and put the start of follow ups and networking.
The project strongly relates to the European Green Deal, aiming at mitigation of the climate change negative effects, agrodiversity degradation, resource-efficiency and competitive economy, by its concept to guard the old vegetable seeds. The knowledge delivery and the trainings correspond to the Green Deal aim to follow the path to a green transition, thus contributing to the Green Deal pillars for a predictable and simplified regulatory environment. The project activities support biodiversity & healthy and affordable food. It corresponds to the New European Bauhaus Initiative (NEB) and contributes to the success of the NEB movement by actions for adaptive reuse of agrobiodiversity through its initiative to establish CSCs for guarding traditional vegetable seeds; by leveraging green challenges; by addressing the NEB inseparable values: sustainability (by engaging vegetable producers as agrobiodiversity influencing factors); quality of experience (by training); valuing diversity by securing accessibility and affordability of heritage seeds.
Other The project complies with the EU Common Agricultural Policy (2021-2027) objectives to ensure a sustainable future for European farmers and links its concept for stimulation of agrobiodiversity by assuring access to traditional vegetable seeds, in correspondence with the above Policy goals for social, environmental, and economic sustainability in agriculture and rural areas.
Other The project is in synergy with the Int. Treaty for PGR for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) for facilitating access to traditional vegetable seeds as the genetic material for research, breeding and training and the implementation of the Nagoya protocol for assurance of genetic diversity by sustainable use of PGR. It drives up community based in-situ seeds’ saving for farming. The project will work on legislative measures related to old vegetable varieties and preservation of traditional knowledge – important for biodiversity conservation and development of crop genetic diversity. It will work on suggesting measures and incentives that encourage use and development of locally adapted varieties.
Other The project is coherent with European Environmental Policies and their aim to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 with benefits for people, the climate and the planet, to protect Europe’s natural resources, and safeguard the health and wellbeing of people living in the EU, by addressing accessibility of seeds of traditional vegetable varieties and landraces for their recovery as valuable PGR. Also, by following the bioeconomy directions given in the Action Plan to the EU 2018 Bioeconomy Strategy “Managing healthy and resilient ecosystems in the bioeconomy”.
Other The project considers the UN Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in December 2022 and its aims to “put the biodiversity on the path of recovery for all” and ‘secure the future of our planetary life support system’, which makes the project focus on traditional vegetable seeds saveguarding of a high importance and contribution for the Black Sea region.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
RCO 115 - Public events across borders jointly organised, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO116) Jointly developed solutions: 1.0
(RCO84) Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects : 1.0
(RCO115) Public events across borders jointly organised: 2.0
(RCO87) Organisations cooperating across borders: 1.0

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:

Delivered result indicator(s):

(RCR104) Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations: 1.0
(RCR84) Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion: 4.0

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2026-09

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

83 / 83 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

373 / 374 (99.73%)

Notes on the data

There are discrepancies in this programme's financial data in keep.eu. Namely, in one or more cases, the sum of the project partners' budgets exceeds the total budget of the respective project. Interact is working with the Programme to correct those figures.

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Seed Guardians for Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project