A network of more than 600 Indigenous people, family farmers and other local collectors who gather, process and sell diverse native seeds for ecological restoration. The network connects restoration demand with local livelihoods and Indigenous knowledge.
Xingu Seed Network – Indigenous Seed Collection, Forest Restoration and Livelihoods
Indigenous peoples and family farmers in Brazil turn native seed collection into a community-controlled economy restoring the Amazon and Cerrado.
Transformation
Operating across the personal, practical and political spheres, it transforms native seeds and traditional knowledge into the basis of a community-controlled restoration economy. Collectors earn income by harvesting, processing and supplying native seeds to public, private and civil-society restoration projects, strengthening the social value of Indigenous knowledge, and creating supply chains and influencing seed regulation and restoration policy. Its model has also inspired seed networks elsewhere in Brazil.
Equity
Approximately 60% of collectors are Indigenous and 80% are women. Income is distributed among community collectors, while the network supports women’s autonomy, cultural recognition, training and collective organisation. Collectors participate in planning, processing and distribution.
Biodiversity
Seeds from more than 200 native species have contributed to restoring nearly 11,000 hectares of Amazon and Cerrado vegetation. The diverse direct-seeding approach supports native plant diversity and ecological succession.
