Over generations and generations of human history, the seeds that we grow into food crops have been selected for qualities that suit human needs. Flavour, yield, pest-resistance, and better survival under specific climactic conditions are key qualities for which plants and their seed have been propagated. These days, the scale on which harvesting and food production is done has changed the way in which seeds are selected, gathered, distributed and more broadly ‘used’ as a tool for survival.
The seeds that dominate the world market in food today have become patented, owned, and grown more specifically for mass food production; less for flavour, nutrition (and these two are connected!) or regional tradition and difference. However, there is a movement that is gaining momentum; ‘heirloom’ seeds, ‘local’ plants and cuisines, and (with regards to bread) heritage grains are gaining market interest.
As we better understand the importance of these grains to nutrition and to the constantly underestimated value of biodiversity more generally, their preservation is being valued more highly. That is not to say that such preservation is an entirely new thing! Seed stocks in Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) were protected by scientists during the WWII Siege of Leningrad when so many starved to death (and they were starving themselves but believed in the value of these grains to post-war survival!). The curator of the rice collection apparently died at his desk, surrounded by food he refused to eat (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b050yh95). There are plenty of amazing stories around the preservation of seed. (Goodness, the preservation of seed is the history of agriculture, and the history of agriculture is the history of humanity, isn’t it!)
In any case, seed banks now have a vital role to play as we play catch up with the importance of biodiversity and find ways to balance this importance with the power of the market. In fact, did you know: “Although the edible plants of the world are known to number some 80,000, only 150 species have ever been cultivated on a large scale, and for 90% of the world’s food, we currently rely on fewer than twenty species.” (p.7 Andrew Crowe (2004) A Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Penguin Books: North Shore, New Zealand)
Carolyn Fry explains seed banks and their importance to the rapidly changing world around us:
”Essentially gene stores, they conserve the genetic diversity present in wild plants, as well as that within agricultural landraces. They offer the chance to: breed diversity back into genetically sparse cultivars and make new crops that are resilient to climate change; support in situ conservation by providing seeds and plants to supplement depleted biodiversity; and prevent rare plants that may be valuable to humanity from going extinct.” (pp.12-13 Carolyn Fry (2016) Seeds: A natural History. The University of Chicago Press. Chicago)
To learn more, check out these podcasts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0bgblcg (Seeds: a 400-million-year-old food story)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003yd2w (Banking on Life)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b050yh95 (The Grain Divide)
Check out The Bread Lab at Washington State for an example of practical research into heirloom and heritage varieties of wheat that can better be used in the future : http://thebreadlab.wsu.edu/about-the-bread-lab/