INSR is pleased to announce that the First International Principles and Standards for Native Seeds in Ecological Restoration are now available as an Open Source Special Issue of Restoration Ecology.

To access the special issue, click on the image below.

The growing demand for native seeds in ecological restoration and rehabilitation has resulted in a $1 billion global industry in the sourcing, supply, and sale of native seeds. Until now, there has been little international guidance for ensuring native seeds have the same standards of quality assurance that are already regular practice in the crop and horticultural industries. Using the SER International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration as a foundation document, INSR synthesized general practices in the native seed supply chain. They derived the Principles and Standards for Native Seeds ("Seed Standards") from this synthesis. These practices and the underpinning science provide the basis for developing quality measures and guidance statements that are adaptable at the local, biome, or national scale. Importantly, the Seed Standards define what is considered native seed in ecological restoration and highlight the differences between native seeds versus seeds of improved genetics. The Seed Standards are not intended to be mandatory, however, the guidance statements provide the foundation upon which regulatory approaches can be developed by constituencies and jurisdictions.