ABSTRACT
Community seed banks were first established in Mexico in 2005 as part of the national strategy for in-situ conservation and to support farmers in areas exposed to natural disasters. Banks in the Seed Basket network are part of an initiative to promote organic agriculture. They work with both native and introduced horticultural crops to guarantee self-sufficiency of communities in a diversity of foods. Sistema Nacional de Recursos Fitogeneticos para la Alimentacion y la Agricultura (SINAREFI) and the institutions participating in activities of the community seed banks and in conservation of plant genetic resources organize local, state and national seed fairs to raise awareness about the diversity conserved by farmers in the banks. The experts and researchers responsible for or supporting the community seed banks set up demonstration plots in farmers' fields to demonstrate the favourable characteristics of various native varieties. As part of the national strategy for conserving plant genetic resources, community seed banks are financed through SINAREFI's projects.
