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Programs

Local Seed Inventory Project

Creating a publicly available inventory of existing “local” seeds, with seed classification for food, medicinal, cultural and environmental purposes. Identification and evaluation of common and “under threat of extinction” varieties. On-going and continuous updating.

Planting & Seed Saving Program

Developing organic, open-pollinated (OOP) seed producing centers in Bali with better skilled local small scale farmers.

Seed Distribution Program

Creating an on-line database of available OOP seed (for trade or sale). Marketing and distributing OOP seeds for home, school, community and small scale organic food producers in Bali or neighboring areas.

Seed Adaptation & Innovation Program

Through practices of Participatory Plant Breeding, encouraging an improved local plant breeding program through closer farmer – scientist collaboration to bring about plant genetic improvement. The goal of the program is to increase production, variety and marketability of local food crops through improved varieties.

Seed Saving Workshops

Providing workshops for small scale farmers, schools, communities, and special children & adult programs.

Grow Your Own Dinner

Workshops & training programs for encouraging more home, school and community gardens, and the pleasures & good practices of “field to table” dining.

Festival of Millets

Cultivating alternative grains in Bali for cooking & baking to reduce dependency on rice and imported wheat. Encouraging new plantings of a wide variety of millet and sorghum in drier marginal areas of Bali using local seed stock from Bali, neighboring islands, along with new introduced OOP varieties.

Seed Stories

Dr Vandana Shiva Inspires BENIH BALI Programby Mary Jane Edleson

In August, Dr Vandana Shiva visited Jakarta, east Java and Bali, inspiring large audiences on the importance of our endless fight for seed freedom. Under a program entitled OUR SEEDS, OUR FUTURE: Strengthening Indonesia’s Food Sovereignty, several non-profit organizations, including Mantasa, Slow Food Bali and IDEP Foundation, collaborated to develop a special program in Bali. Besides making a powerful presentation at a Celebration Dinner and Seminar in Bali, Vandana Shiva visited the Greenschool and had a chance to tour the UNESCO living cultural rice producing area of Jatiluwih.

Call to Action: Local Seed!by Mary Jane Edleson

We live in a time of uncertainty, from climate change to polarized viewpoints and values. At the same time a growing body of people are working to define new models to protect our genetic commons in the public domain. The organic food industry is also becoming more aware of seed as critical to food production and the quality and integrity of their products, as well as the challenges and needs before us.

“Save Your Seeds” WorkshopDate & Venue soon to be announced

Come join a skill building and hands-on experience in the art of traditional seed saving. Develop an appreciation of the botany of seed, and its role in plant reproduction. Learn from experts how to encourage seed production in your own home garden, and how to harvest and store seeds.

Sorghum SamplingDate & venue to be announced soon

As a pre-event to the 2015 Festival of Millet, come join BENIH BALI’s food tasting of a range of recipes using locally grown sorghum. Learn about the versatility of sorghum as a substitute for rice and wheat products, including its impressive nutritional content.

more events

BENIH BALI is dedicated to achieving organic, open-pollinated (OOP) seed self-sufficiency in Bali, working through collaborative programs of local seed conservation, adaptation and innovation.