The hard part is finding these examples, understanding what made them work and making that knowledge available to the people designing the next project. That’s the gap DAISY’s Seeds Database is built to fill.
What is the Seeds Database?
The Seeds Database is a growing collection of initiatives that are already driving transformative change for biodiversity and equity, documented in a consistent structure: project name, country or target group, duration and a short description. It currently holds close to ten entries, with new ones being added as data collection continues.
It sits at the centre of DAISY’s wider research, which examines how interventions such as innovations, regulations, financial incentives and shifts in social norms can drive systemic change for biodiversity and equity. That research scans for both established and emerging innovations across key domains, including agri-food, energy, education, and urban and regional development. The Seeds Database is where the results of that scanning become visible: a single, consistently structured place to see the “seeds” of transformation that are already being planted in practice.
More than a showcase
The database isn’t only a way to spotlight good work. It also functions as a secondary data source for research. DAISY and sister Horizon Europe projects, including SPARK4B+, already draw on it when identifying and assessing best practices across different socio-economic paradigms and governance frameworks. The DRAGONS network builds on the same foundation, using it to surface and connect “seeds of change” with policymakers on the ground. In other words, every entry added to the database is not only documented but also becomes evidence that other projects and initiatives can put to use.
Still early days
The Seeds Database is currently in beta. Data collection has only just started, and the initiatives currently listed are the beginning of what is intended to become a much larger, continuously growing knowledge base. Over the coming months and years, expect more detailed project descriptions, introductions to the people and organisations behind each initiative, and results shared through videos, blog posts and other formats.
Why it matters
Projects working on biodiversity and equity too often start from scratch, reconstructing lessons that another initiative has already learned the hard way. By collecting these “seeds of transformative change” in one accessible, consistently structured place, DAISY aims to help researchers, policymakers and practitioners spot patterns across contexts, connect with people working in similar directions and eventually bring these experiences directly to the policymakers who can act on them.
