The Institute is proud to announce the project Blockchain4Biodiversity: A Digital Farmers’ Market Incentivizing Sustainable Innovations with Indigenous Seeds, funded by the European Research Council (ERC), which was awarded to IEAI Researcher Mrinalini Kochupillai in July 2023.
Indigenous seeds are crucial threads holding the promise of food security and sustainable farming. Yet, these seeds face an existential threat due to issues like viability, climate change and dwindling economic incentives for on-farm conservation. With this in mind, the ERC-funded ReSeed project will use blockchain technology to create a transparent and decentralised digital farmers’ market. Through a meticulous mixed-methods research approach, ReSeed seeks to integrate seamlessly into international regulatory frameworks, fostering in situ conservation, research and innovation while benefiting small farmers economically and environmentally. This innovation addresses the challenges of preserving indigenous seeds and offers a transformative solution, fostering equitable transfers and incentivising responsible downstream research, ultimately benefiting small farmers worldwide.
The IEAI wishes Mrinalini Kochupillai all the best at Hanken as their new professor of commercial law, where she will continue to lead the project.
