Seeds of Diversity began as an idea born in the back of a Chevy in 1984. An excited group of seed savers were returning home from a conference, hosted by Canadian Organic Growers, about the loss of genetic diversity in food crops. They had heard from farmers who weren't able to find the seed varieties they wanted, gardeners whose favourite varieties had been dropped from leading seed catalogues, and about the general trend of erosion of genetic diversity in our food crops.
Inspired by the work of seed savers in Canada and around the world, our founders imagined the "Heritage Seed Program", modeled on groups like the U.S.-based Seed Savers Exchange. Canadian Organic Growers initiated that program to help salvage Canada's crop-plant heritage, with Alex Caron as coordinator.
This was the beginning of what would later become Seeds of Diversity.