The Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) is Ireland's leading NGO for the conservation of of heritage varieties . We conserve, protect & promote Ireland’s heritage food crop diversity for sustainability, future use, resilience & food security . We conserve via in situ & ex situ collections, managing Ireland's genebank for heritage varieties; Ireland’s only living seed bank & the national heritage apple tree collection. We promote 'conservation through use' serving gardeners, community growers, farmers, educators & the wider public. Our work falls under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture & forms part of Ireland's national report to UN FAO on Ireland's fulfillment of its obligations under the Treaty. Our mission is to ensure this vital living heritage is protected for future generations and remains accessible as a resource for healthy sustainable food systems, climate resilience & biodiversity.
Why work with us
Make a real and meaningful contribution to the conservation of our food crop heritage while supporting food security and seed sovereignty for sustainabile food systems.
