The Breton association Kaol Kozh in France (meaning old cabbage in Breton) was founded in 2007. It continued the work done by the Plateforme Agrobiologique d’Initiative Bio Bretagne and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, that brought together farmers and researchers on characterisation of genetic resources and selection of new varieties.

Until May 2017, Kaol Kozh was operating on a voluntary basis of its funders. It is composed by about 60 members. Kaol Kozh is aimed at legally distributing vegetable “peasant seeds” and at making the seed issues visible to any actor.

Seed distribution takes place in different ways. First, it can be informal, occurring for example at the association meetings. Second, the association has also created a formal system. With this system varieties, which are not listed in the European official catalogues and therefore not authorised for sale, circulate between producers through the association, being the co-ownership of all the members. A group of members produce the seeds for the association needs and partly for seed companies.

The association select, improve and create plant populations adapted and adaptable to Breton soils and organic productions. It provides tools for sorting, cleaning, saving and distributing seeds.

In 2017 Kaol Kozh participated to a communication campaign for the Carrefour supermarkets, entitled “Forbidden Market”.

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