Biodiversity, Heirloom, Genetic Modifications, and Hybrid Seeds

What makes an Heirloom Variety?

The truth is, no one really knows. There is no standard, accepted definition of what an heirloom plant is, or what makes a heirloom. Suzanne P. DeMuth, who wrote Vegetables and Fruits: A Guide to Heirloom Varieties and Community-Based Stewardship, suggests that an heirloom is any variety "known through historical documentation or folk history for at least 50 years" (DeMuth, 1999). Jenna Sicuranza, a curator at Seed Savers Exchange, a large nonprofit organization that preserves and sells tens of thousands of heriloom seed varieties, has an alternative definition. She acknowledges that people often cite heirloom as being of a certain age, either from before the beginning of industrial agriculture, the Second World War, or of being grown for more than 100 years. She explains that Seed Savers any variety that has been grown and shared by a family or in a community for a period of time ( Sicuranza, 2013).

My Proposal for a Standard Definition

The lack of a unified meaning of what constitutes an heirloom makes it hard to regulate and to promote their growth. I propose that a legal definition of what an heirloom needs to take into account both species that have historical significance, and newer varieties that have been open pollinated, instead of being bred as hybrids.

A variety of a plant may be labeled and sols as an heirloom:

  • A: If there is a documented history of that variety being grown before 1945.
  • B: If that variety of an annual plant has been allowed to and is documented to have been open pollinated for at least 20 generations, and continues to be open pollinated as long as it is commercially raised.
  • C: Perennial species, and long lived species such as fruit trees, shall be reviewed on a case by case basis to determine if they adhere to open pollination and would fulfill the qualifications of an heirloom.
  • D: As an exception, if a variety of plant has been brought from a different country, where it is traditionally grown, it may be allowed to be labeled as an "heirloom variety" if it has been documented to have been open pollinated in the US for at least 5 generations, and continues to be open pollinated through commercial raising.

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is the "biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals." In more plain English, it asks if there is only one species of plants and maybe 3 species of bugs in an area, or are there 10 different plants, that support a variety of animals.

Why are Heirlooms Important to Biodiversity?

Heirloom species help to keep plant populations healthy, as the repeated inbreeding of commercial varieties, while having no effect on the quality of the food itself, does make them more susceptible to diseases, as the F1 Hybrids are not able to spread random beneficial mutations. The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay helps to explain why heirlooms are important. Over 90% of the worlds food supply comes from approximately 20 species of plants and even fewer species of animals. Most of the important crops genetic diversity is in heirloom plants, as with tomatoes, where there are only 2 commercially grown varieties of tomato, there are over 900 distinct varieties that will breed true in the wild. The gene pool the exists within rarely used domesticated varieties, along with wild varieties, preserves many beneficial traits not found in commercial varieties, such as drought tolerance, pest resistance, and adaptations to soil conditions. These traits will be beneficial in the face of a changing climate and the increasing number of pesticide resistant insects and plants (UW Green Bay, 2019). They also happen to look and taste different from the standard varieties, which can be appealing to adventurous eaters.

How Can Farmers Support Biodiversity?

If a farm would like to be labeled as "organic" or as "sustainable," then I propose as part of this certification, they must be made to support biodiversity, and help in safeguarding the global food supply. A farmer must use at least 2% of their land to grow a minimum number of heirloom varieties, at least 3 if they have fewer than 200 acres, and at least 5 if they have more than 200 acres. I propose a seed sharing organization that maintains supplies of each certified variety of heirloom, and distributes them to farmers based on appropriate climate and soil data. Farmers must return seeds from each variety that they manage to successfully grow, and they are allowed to return the seeds from plants that would otherwise be unsellable. This way, agrobiodiversity is preserved, a fall back collection of seeds is preserved should a pest or disease wipe out a species, and farmers still have the ability to sell the produce they raise.

Works Cited

DeMuth, Suzanne P. (1999, 3). Vegetables and Fruits: A Guide to Heirloom Varieties and Community-Based Stewardship. Retrieved from https://pubs.nal.usda.gov/sites/pubs.nal.usda.gov/files/heirloom_0.htm

Sicuranza, Jenna. (2013). Defining Heirlooms. Retrived from https://www.seedsavers.org/site/pdf/Defining_Heirloom.pdf

University of Wisconsin Green Bay. (2019). Heirlooms. http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/heirloom/