At over 3.000 meters above sea level, in southwestern Colombia, the indigenous community of Cumbal has launched an initiative that goes far beyond agriculture: a seed bank with which he confronts hunger and the loss of his food cultureIn a territory marked by livestock expansion and intensive milk production, this community project seeks to restore the balance between economy, territory and nutrition.
Far from large cities and industrial agricultural circuits, Indigenous teachers, students, and families have decided to rescue ancestral seeds. that have filled their plates for generations. It's not just about storing grains in a cupboard: the Cumbal seed bank has become a living space where traditional varieties are preserved, knowledge is exchanged, and the community's food sovereignty is strengthened.
A livestock territory that stopped planting crops in order to eat.
In the Gran Cumbal indigenous reserve, in the south of the department of Nariño and very close to the border with Ecuador, The mountains that were once full of crops have been transformed into pastures for livestock.Over the last few decades, many families have turned to milk production, a profitable activity that has reshaped the local economy, but which has also generated an unexpected side effect: the loss of diversity in food that were grown and consumed daily.
Those who are older today remember a different landscape and different priorities. Half a century ago, life revolved around planting, the exchange of products, and the value of food.more than money. Families cultivated potatoes, corn, beans, and a wide variety of Andean tubers and grains, which were shared through bartering among neighboring communities. With the arrival of intensive livestock farming, many of these plots were converted, and many of these species were relegated or simply abandoned.
The change became evident when the community began to rely more and more on income from milk to buy food instead of producing it. The Covid-19 pandemic starkly exposed that fragility.There was money and there were cows, but there was a lack of basic homegrown food. The lockdowns made many families realize that the land no longer guaranteed them a full pot of food as it once did.
In this context of food vulnerability, The idea of returning to the land and rescuing the seeds that still survived gained strength. in small family gardensIt was not just a nostalgic gesture, but an urgent need to diversify the diet, reduce dependence on the market, and strengthen the community's autonomy in the face of future crises.
From the classroom to the garden: this is how the seed bank was born
The organized response came from within the local education system itself. A group of teachers from the Cumbe Indigenous Agricultural Technical Educational Institute decided to propose a different task to their students: ask each student to bring to school all the seeds they found at homeFrom the most common ones to those their grandparents kept almost secret. From that seemingly simple school exercise, the future community seed bank would be born.
The surprise was enormous. Upon collecting the samples, the teachers discovered that Dozens of varieties of potatoes, beans, corn, and other tubers were still preserved.In addition to numerous less visible crops that had been disappearing from the more commercially important plots, what began as an impromptu inventory became a true snapshot of the territory's agrobiodiversity.
From there, the teaching team set themselves a clear objective: to not let those seeds be lost and to ensure that they once again occupy a central place on family farmsThe seed bank was conceived as a space for classifying, storing, and multiplying plant material, but also as a pedagogical tool. Students participate in sowing, caring for the plants, and harvesting, integrating this knowledge into the daily life of the school.
Over time, the project gained structure and recognition. The Cumbal bank became part of the international program “Biodiversity for Resilient Ecosystems in Agricultural Landscapes”Funded by the Government of Canada and coordinated by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), this initiative promotes community seed banks in different rural regions, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change and market pressures.
Thanks to that technical and financial support, More than 30 species of food crops have been identified and horticultural crops, another 30 fruit species and around a hundred aromatic and medicinal plants present in the area. Each of them contributes a distinct nutritional, cultural and ecological value, which strengthens the diet and expands the possibilities of local production.
Recovering forgotten flavors and ancestral knowledge
The bank's work is not limited to storing seeds in labeled jars. The teaching team, together with the families and students, has promoted school gardens, conservation competitions and gastronomic activities so that these varieties can once again be cultivated and cooked normally. In this way, the recovered seeds cease to be a dormant resource and are reintegrated into everyday life.
In these gardens, boys and girls learn not only agricultural techniques, but also stories linked to each species, traditional farming methods, and recipes passed down by grandmothersBy taking this knowledge home, they contribute to changing habits and revaluing foods that had been sidelined in favor of more commercial or processed products.
Local cuisine is one of the clearest indicators of the impact of the seed bank. In many homes, dishes made with potatoes of different colors and textures, tender broad beans, various varieties of quinoa, barley, wheat, ollucos, native corn, bananas, and tree tomatoes have reappeared.Traditional cooks in the area have found in these seeds an opportunity to recreate old recipes and propose new combinations without giving up the culinary identity of Cumbal.
This gastronomic revival also has a nutritional dimension. By diversifying crops, families gain access to more complete and balanced diets.with different contributions of vitamins, minerals, and plant-based proteins. In a context where food can be limited by the price and availability of products on the market, having your own pantry in the form of a vegetable garden becomes a lifeline.
Another key aspect is the intergenerational link. The participation of older people, who contribute their memories and agricultural experience, is fundamental to reconstructing management practices, planting times, and conservation methods.In this way, the seed bank acts as a bridge between generations, preventing traditional knowledge from being forgotten and allowing it to be adapted to current needs.
The Yar Pue Cumbe Seed House and the nodal banks
To organize all this diversity and ensure that it reaches the different neighborhoods, the school and the community launched the Yar Pue Cumbe Seed House, a major center for conservation and exchangeThis space functions as the heart of the system: there, seeds are classified, stored, and regenerated before being distributed to the rest of the community network.
This main branch supplies nine nodal banks installed in rural schools in various hamletsEach of them maintains part of the seed collection adapted to the conditions of their specific environment, which reduces risks and allows varieties to continue evolving in contact with local soils and climates. This decentralization also facilitates access for families, who do not need to travel long distances to obtain planting material.
The operating system is based on trust and reciprocity. Families wishing to plant seeds can request to borrow seeds, usually by the kilo, with the commitment to return a slightly larger amount after the harvest.Thus, the seed bank is not depleted, but rather strengthened with each agricultural cycle, adding more seeds and, often, new varieties that are discovered or reintroduced.
Meanwhile, in the classrooms this system is complemented with practical training. Students learn to select the best seed, to preserve it correctly, and to record its origin and characteristics.This combination of theory and practice fosters the long-term continuity of the project, as each new generation incorporates this knowledge as a natural part of their education.
The initiative also strengthens food security and the economy of families. Having your own seeds adapted to the territory reduces dependence on external inputs and the purchase of commercial seedswhich are often more homogeneous and less resilient to pests or climate change. The result is a more robust agricultural system with a greater capacity to respond to unforeseen events.
A local example with international repercussions
Although the Cumbal seed bank responds to a very specific reality of the Colombian Andes, Her experience connects with global debates on food sovereignty, conservation of agricultural biodiversity, and resilience to crises.In Europe and Spain, where the loss of traditional varieties and the abandonment of local crops are also a challenge, initiatives like this serve as a reference when designing policies and projects for the recovery of peasant seeds.
In various European countries, networks have been promoted community banks, school gardens and seed-saving associations They pursue very similar objectives: preserving the genetic diversity of crops, keeping agricultural culture alive, and offering more sustainable alternatives to intensive farming models. The case of Cumbal shows how, even in contexts with limited resources, the combination of community, school, and institutional support can generate tangible results in a short time.
These types of projects also bring to the table the importance of farming communities continuing to have control over their own planting materialIn contrast to the standardization of commercial seeds and the risk of dependence on a few globalized varieties, local seed banks act as strategic reserves of diversity, with enormous potential to adapt to changing climate scenarios.
For rural European regions seeking to revitalize their economies and curb depopulation, The Cumbal experience reinforces the idea that the recovery of seeds and knowledge can go hand in hand with job creation, gastronomic tourism, and environmental education.Although each territory has its own particularities, the underlying principle is shared: to protect what is ours to guarantee the future.
What is happening in this corner of Colombia demonstrates that A handful of seeds, well organized and collectively cared for, can become a powerful tool against hunger, loss of identity, and economic vulnerability.The Cumbal seed bank doesn't just store grains; it stores stories, survival strategies, and a way of understanding the relationship with the land that can inspire many other communities, including in Europe, that are looking for more sustainable and fair ways to feed themselves.
