The Association
Who are we?
The Association of Local Varieties is a non-profit organization that was established in 2002 based on the proposal of farmers, technicians and scholars of the agrobiodiversity of the Balearic Islands, and that works mostly in Mallorca.
The entity works for the recovery of local varieties of vegetables, legumes, cereals and fruit trees, as well as farmer knowledge that are associated with it.
It promotes the promotion of production and conservation of cultivated biodiversity, and the collective management of agrobiodiversity as the heritage of the people.
It is part of Seed Network: Replanting and Interchanging, a network of entities with common objectives at the state level.
The Assembly
The Members' Assembly is the supreme body of the association. An assembly is held annually in the first quarter of the year, in which the activities carried out in the previous year are explained as well as accounts are rendered with the partners, and when the general lines to be followed by the entity are discussed.
The board
It is the management and decision-making body, made up of people and/or representatives of companies or cooperatives, which is renewed every 4 years. The Board is currently made up of:
Andreu Adrover
president
Technical agricultural engineer, responsible for the horticultural and fruit crops of the organic farm in Sa Teulera. Great enthusiast of cultivated agrobiodiversity and native breeds of animals, such as the Majorcan chicken. He holds the position of president and is also a farmer of the seed multiplier network.
Toni Feliu
Vice President
Agroecological farmer, great defender of agrobiodiversity and native breeds. He holds the position of vice president and farmer of the network of eco seed multipliers.
Andrea Cardona
secretary
A biologist by training, she has great admiration for nature and biodiversity. Currently, he is dedicated to education with a special interest in agroecology and food sovereignty. She has the position of secretary and also helps with volunteer work.
Xavier Moratinos
Treasurer
School teacher and part-time farmer. He is a producer of "xeixa" wheat and markets its flour. He is also very interested in sweet acorn holm oaks grafting. He holds the position of treasurer of the entity.
Catalina Sebastià
vocal
Natural resource management technician and environmental educator. Committed to the protection of the natural environment and especially wild plants and local varieties. Passionate about ethnobotany, its research and dissemination.
Juana M. Verger (Es Garrover de Mallorca)
vocal
Diploma in tourism, financial advisor, manager of Productos Martín and founder of Es Garrover de Mallorca, from where she is the creator of the line of organic and local carob products "Johannis". Disseminator and expert with carob.
Manel Domènech
vocal
Retired teacher and great activist for causes such as "City for those who inhabit it", among others. He helps with volunteer tasks and always offers his estate in Son Maiol to give training courses.
Mireia Sisquella
vocal
Technical agricultural engineer, passionate about nature, wild plants and local varieties.
Toni Calafell
vocal
Technical agricultural engineer, technician of the Balearic Council for Ecological Agricultural Production (CBPAE). Great fan of local varieties of fruit trees and specifically cherry trees. Recoverer and conservator of local cherry varieties. He is a member of the organization and farmer of the network of eco seed multipliers.
The workers
They carry out the daily tasks of the association, which include the realization of the various projects, as well as the management and organization of the entity.
Aina Socies
Degree in Environmental Sciences and master's degree in Agroecology.
Bel Mozo
Degree in Geography and Higher Degree of FP in Landscaping and Rural Environment.
Sebastià Grimalt
Graduated in Agri-Food and Rural Environment Engineering.
what do we do
Want to know everything we've been up to in the last year? Download the association's 2021 annual report by clicking here.
Informative talks
On the importance of conserving, cultivating and consuming local varieties, and related topics.
Practical workshops
Related to our work, such as seed extraction, planting of local varieties, seed conservation, creation of germplasm banks...
Training days in schools
Through practical workshops and also with teacher training.
Courses
For professionals, technicians, agricultural cycle students, people interested in agriculture, etc. These courses deal with specific topics in relation to agrobiodiversity and local varieties.
Tastings of local varieties
It is important to know and value local varieties not only from the point of view of production, but also from the point of view of consumption, which is key to the maintenance of these varieties. That's why we organize tastings of local varieties, where you can check their organoleptic quality (flavor, smell, color, texture...) and their diversity.
We recover varieties
That are no longer in the fields or that are at risk of genetic erosion and we value them in order to introduce them to the market.
We multiply
The vegetable and leguminous seeds of local varieties through the network of multiplier farmers in their organic farms.
Let's spread the word
The seeds multiplied in different stores so that the maximum number of consumers can acquire them and continue to reproduce.
We preserve
All those varieties that we multiply, sowing them, collecting them and packaging them.
Research works
Such as agronomic and organoleptic characterizations to assess the commercial viability of local varieties and to know consumer acceptance.
Pilot projects
Like the innovation in the cleaning techniques of cereals of local and ecological varieties.
Impact on public policies
We hold meetings with political representatives to inform them of the importance of local varieties, both in terms of conservation, and above all in the promotion of their cultivation and consumption, as cultural and agronomic heritage of the territory.
*We are open to hosting and supporting work and studies related to our activity (company internships, students and others).
Do you want to collaborate with us? Here you will find how you can help us move forward with the various projects and activities we have underway.