Founded in 1991, the Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to conserving Ireland’s precious food crop heritage. Our mission is to protect and promote open-pollinated heritage vegetable seeds and fruit tree varieties, ensuring they thrive for future generations.

Through our work, we:

• Conserve and protect: Safeguarding seed, grain, vegetable, and fruit varieties in Ireland’s only living Seed Bank and the National Irish Heritage Apple Collection.
• Educate and inspire: Offering training in horticulture, biodiversity, and seed-saving to empower individuals and communities.
• Promote biodiversity: Showcasing the vital role of heritage crops and regenerative farming practices in sustainable agriculture.

We aim to secure Ireland’s food crop genetic resources and honour our global responsibility to protect biodiversity.