Jointly produced by eight Latin American organisations and edited by Radio Mundo Real, the documentary "Seeds: commons or corporate property?" draws on the experiences and struggles of social movements for the defence of indigenous and native seeds in Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Argentina, Colombia and Guatemala.

The main characters are the seeds - indigenous, native, ours - in the hands of rural communities and indigenous peoples. The documentary illustrates that the defence of native seeds is integral to the defence of territory, life and peoples’ autonomy. It also addresses the relationship between indigenous women and native seeds, as well as the importance of seed exchanges within communities. Exploring the historical origins of corn, and the appreciation and blessing of seeds by Mayan communities, this short film shows the importance of seeds in ceremonies, markets and exchanges, as well as local experiences of recovery and management of indigenous seeds. It also shows the significant and ongoing struggles against seed laws, against UPOV 91 and the imposition of transgenic seeds. Whilst condemning the devastation that such laws bring, this film captures the resistance to aerial spraying and the advancement of agribusiness.

The documentary is available in Spanish; with English, Portuguese, and French subtitles. [1] We invite you to watch it and to share it widely in order to continue defending the seeds which are peoples’ heritage, and which serve humankind on the path towards food sovereignty.

The Latin American Seeds Collective consists of: Asociación Nacional para el Fomento de la Agricultura Ecológica (ANAFAE) of Honduras, Red Nacional para la defensa de la Soberanía Alimentaria en Guatemala (REDSAG), Red de Biodiversidad in Costa Rica, Grupo Semillas in Colombia, Acción Ecológica in Ecuador, Articulación Nacional de Agroecología in Brasil, Acción por la Biodiversidad in Argentina and GRAIN.

Watch "Seeds: commons or corporate property?"

[1] To turn on subtitles, click the ‘CC’ button in the player's bottom toolbar. In the menu that appears, select the language track you would like to see.