Reflect, connect, and express with seeds: How an art-based workshop brought a different flavour to Agri4D 2025

Seeds are the very foundation of our life.  Yet, its diversity has been lost at an unprecedented rate. Between 1900 and 2000, we lost more than 75% of our crop diversity, and today, over 56% of the commercial seed market is now controlled by just four major agribusiness companies. Our food system is in precarious condition.

Today, like food, seeds have become entangled in political and economic systems, and even weaponized by war amidst the planetary crisis we are facing. On top of that, we are also suffering from a crisis of imagination, we can’t imagine another alternative. In some regions, seed banks and fields have been deliberately destroyed, while in others, seeds are locked away in Arctic vaults, far from farmers and communities, with the hope that one day, custodians will bring them back to life in the fields nurturing and sustaining our food system.

We often hear the phrase, “Have you eaten today? Thank a farmer.” But how often do we pause to think about the seed, the very beginning of that food? A seed is not just a capsule of DNA; it carries culture, history, and the potential for life. Seed is food, fullness, beginning, and hope. When it disappears, a part of our collective memory disappears with it.

To reflect on and reconnect with seeds, The Journey of Seed was organized as a first-of-its-kind session at Agri4D. Eight participants joined, half of them youth. Through guided meditation, they were invited to connect with indigenous variety of seed and imagine the journey of a seed, from past to present to future. Later, using seeds and art materials they expressed their imagination through simple, creative art.

Although it was a quiet session, the room felt filled with collective energy. Participants without any art background engaged, using their imagination and basic art skills to trace their story of seed and how they perceive it. One participant depicted a seed’s life cycle, planted by hand, sprouting, growing, and continuing the circle of life. Another drew a bird picking up seeds, often seen as a farmer’s enemy, but placed a heart beneath it to show that all living beings exist in harmony. Others used artwork in honor of a friend who is a seed diversity activist, or as fruit trees depicting its role in the food system along with networks of friends, symbolizing connection and collaboration.  Later, in pairs, participants shared the stories behind their artwork, reflecting on why they drew what they did. The session then closed with a group reflection.

Participants reflected what the seed represents and the possibilities it holds. One shared, “The path of the seed was one of growth and harvest, but also loss and rediscovery. They might be lost today but maybe found again in 4,000 years like those discovered in Egyptian tombs. That’s what I thought about, the possibilities.”  Another shared, “It was an eye-opener. I never thought about the custodians of seeds or what seeds go through to survive” while another added “My colleague convinced me to attend this session, but now I see how important seeds are. I want to start a community project to grow and protect local seeds.”

In academic conferences, art-based or reflective sessions are not often prioritized. They are sometimes seen as less serious or even as “daydreaming.” But within a space dominated by presentations, statistics, and roundtables, this kind of session offered something essential, a moment to pause, think, and personally connect with the core of the food system. As one participant described, “The stillness and reflective nature of the session made space for relaxation, for thinking, and for a quiet but deep discussion.”

In spaces where academic dialogue usually focuses on theories and data, this session reminded us that connecting with the food system requires feeling, imagination, and care.

Maja Malmberg, Coordinator of the Agri4D Conference mentioned

“We were very happy to receive this submission, which provided something different from the traditional sessions. It offered participants a new way of approaching the topic of seeds and had the potential to empower them in their roles as future food systems leaders.”

Seeds, in their simplicity, connect all these elements, from science to culture, from past to future.

Creating reflective and experiential spaces like building personal connection with elements of our food system, making people more aware and to take action through embodied approaches. The Journey of Seed session showed that through imagination, connection and art, participants could move from thinking about seeds to thinking with them and that shift can inspire real action.

At the end of the session, participants were invited to share their wishes for the future of seeds. Their collective reflection could be summarized as:

Before our existence, seeds existed. People found ways to protect them. We should reconnect with nature so that seeds do not suffer the consequences of human actions. Whether by being custodians or youth entrepreneurs, we can help ensure they survive for future generations, climate-friendly world where we value the gift of nature by sharing freely.

I would like to thank the Agri4D Conference organizers for their support with travel and accommodation. I am also grateful to the Agroecology Europe Youth Network for supporting the art and seed materials used during the session.