The “Growing Seed Savers” initiative is jointly run by the Latvian Permaculture Association, the Danish Seed Savers, the Lithuanian Institute for Natural Agriculture, and the Maadjas NGO in Estonia. It is a three-year project funded by Nordplus (2018-2020). Its aims to connect the Danish seed savers, who have decades of experience, with Baltic seed-savers who are just starting. It focuses on seed-saver education courses, collection expeditions, database creation, and seed legislation workshops, but aims to establish collaboration that extends beyond the project.

Within the broader Growing Seed Savers initiative, the four partner organisations are working together to create and circulate new knowledge associated with seed through the creation of: a series of seed saver education courses targeted at different audiences; the design of a methodology for expeditions to collect old varieties and heirloom seeds in rural gardens; the construction of new seed databases in the three Baltic countries; and a coordinated analysis of seed legislation and desired changes in each of the four countries.

In Denmark, there are yearly seed-saving courses which attract new people to gain more in-depth knowledge. In Latvia the most important structures are the seed exchanges, held every January, and occasional events held in the spring. In Lithuania, thousands of people take part in several social media groups related to heritage plant and seed exchange. In Estonia there is very important collaboration with the Estonian Open Air Museum which cultivates native and heirloom plants.

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