Guardians of Agricultural Biodiversity: Farmer Perceptions and Sustainability of Local Seed Varieties in Turkish Highlands

Farmers play a critical role in preserving agricultural biodiversity and ensuring the continuity of local seeds. For this reason, protecting local seeds and passing them on to future generations are urgent priorities for agricultural sustainability. In this study, the villages of Çıralı, Öğdem, and Mutlugün in the Düzler Highland of the Yusufeli District of Artvin Province—where local seed use is prevalent and agricultural production is most intensive—were examined. The aim of this research was to reveal farmers’ patterns in selecting and using local seeds in the Düzler Highland, to identify the factors affecting local seed selection, and to develop recommendations regarding the sustainability of local seeds. The primary material of the study comprised data collected through face-to-face surveys administered to 50 farmers across the three villages. Factor analysis was used to identify determinants of farmers’ use of local seed and of agricultural sustainability. According to the results, all farmers used local seeds, and 34% of farmers also use non-local seeds. The most important factors influencing farmers’ use of local seeds were socio-cultural and market factors, as well as and economic factors; together, they accounted for 55.62% of the variance. In conclusion, individual efforts by farmers alone are not sufficient to protect and sustain local seeds: measures such as providing institutional support, providing training, strengthening seed-exchange networks, and developing mechanisms for marketing local products are required.