The Seeds of the Future
The germplasm bank that conserves seeds
Photo by Enrico Genovesi
The germplasm bank is a “seed bank” that conserves genetic makeup and plant species at risk of extinction or threatened by climate change and environmental transformations caused by human activity and the agribusiness models of multinational corporations. In Italy alone, out of a total of 7634 recorded species, 1020 are endangered. A network of 17 such banks is working to conserve the seeds of endangered spontaneous plants. These include the University of Pisa’s Seed Bank that
stores thousands of seeds of hundreds of species. Their identification, collection, analysis and conservation makes it possible to preserve biological varieties for decades, thereby safeguarding biodiversity. This photojournalism project tells the stories of plant species in Tuscany, including endangered wild spontaneous plants, as well as the entire work process of the Pisa Seed Bank, from dehydration to packaging to conservation.
(2021)
