We are growing around 100 - 130 heirloom tomato varieties every year. Officially in Germany/Europe these are not valid varieties for consumption, but only "ornamental plants", as these are not registered varieties (and one is only allowed to distribute registered varieties for human consumption).

As it is quite expensive to register a variety nearly no traditional farmer (or seed producer) does so, but sells under the label of "ornamental plant".

We just grow, we don't sell. But we share with our neighbors and friends. Our small local community likes the fact that our small garden is full of edible and historic plants from tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumber, maize or pumpkin to pear- and apple-trees producing way more than two people can consume. We just like to grow.

We also have Open Source varieties, but also a lot of others tasting real good.

Reminds me of the halogen 'heating' lightbulbs I saw at a market in Hanover.

In the context of brexit, I'm generally pro-EU. But nobody's perfect, and the regulations around registering plants really felt like a very nasty anti-democratic power-grab. As someone obviously well-versed in it, what is your attitude?

Well. I have mixed feelings. Emotionally I feel the fact that (big) cooperations can own seed varieties (nearly like with patents) to be quite literally something that makes me boil.

In general I do not like the fact, that it is easy for others to claim something that replicates itself as "their own"/"their property".

On the other hand I saw a small tomato grower who developed and breed their own tomato varieties being ripped of by a bigger player, because they just couldn't afford to register a variety they painstakingly developed over years. The bigger player came, bought their seeds, grew the plants and two years later registered this variety as their own under a very, very similar name forgoing the necessity to develop the variety themselves. At least they did not push the other. smaller player out of the market - but they could have probably.

I would love a system that enables some kind of (short- to mid-term) protection for the development effort of new varieties. But I also feel it is a right of the people to grow from their own seedlings. Something that even hybrid varieties do not offer.

It is a difficult topic without quick and easy answers I fear.

But for me - we buy heirloom seeds mostly locally/regionally, grow them, keep our own seeds every year and regrow from that. We also share with other hobbyists.

Thanks for your perspective! Although I was referring to something a bit different — the state limiting the rights of people to grow and sell their own food, except for certain limited varieties.

You may be "selling ornamental plants" today, but surely, only as long as the government looks the other way. You could be "criminals" tomorrow if the authorities changed their minds.

I can think of few more fundamental rights than the ability to grow food to feed yourself and your community.

Other governments round the world, and through history, have taken this to logical extremes. I'm don't want to turn this into a slippery-slope argument, but there are some slopes you just shouldn't step on.

> You could be "criminals" tomorrow if the authorities changed their minds.

This is true.

> I can think of few more fundamental rights than the ability to grow food to feed yourself and your community.

Absolutely. And the moment most/all varieties are registered for corporations you do not even need additional laws. You could use currently existing laws to hinder people in growing their own food/food for the local community.

I feel, that in Europe at least on the level of the European Court of Law we have some guardian of basic fundamental rights. But as a worst case one would have to fight through all levels to have this decided.