The act of saving seeds and sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Modern agriculture has led to a reduction in the genetic base and a decline in the segment of
family-based agriculture, however, some farmers continue to maintain their seeds. The objective
of this work is to understand the attitude by which these farmers keep their seeds and if it
correlates with the dimensions of the construction of a more sustainable agriculture. Six guardian
farmers were interviewed in the municipality of Rio Grande-RS, using participant observation
with the use of questionnaires on the sustainability theme. The ecological and economic
dimensions are present in all families through the maintenance / expansion of agrobiodiversity
and subsistence production, thus generating sovereignty and food security. Keeping a seed is
an attitude of survival that is directly linked to the dimensions of sustainability.