Seminar: "Follow the seed", by Ola Westengen

Ola Westengen, professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences will visit ICTA-UAB to give a seminar.

Title: "Follow the seed"  

Speaker: Ola Westengen, professor at the Norwegian University

• Date: Thursday, November 20th 2025
• Time: 14:30 - 15:00
• Venue: Sala Z/033, ICTA-UAB and online LASEG Monthly meeting | Reunión- Unirse | Microsoft Teams

Organized by: LASEG Research Group

Human cultures have shaped crops, and crops have shaped cultures. Seeds and the social-ecological systems they circulate in—seed systems—are outcomes of such agri-cultural coevolution.

Seeds and seed systems are enmeshed in the ecological, social, cultural, and economic fabric of rural livelihoods. At the same time, seeds are “big business.” Tension between the social and political-economic aspects of seed is the reason behind many “seed struggles” around the world. Questions surrounding issues such as ownership of varieties and access to seed have historically been governed by conventions and norms, but since the early 20th century have increasingly become subject to formal regulations and laws at multiple levels, from the local to the international.

In this talk, I will share findings and perspectives on how seed systems have evolved and how they continue to shape, and be shaped by, broader cultural, technological, and political forces. I aim to show that to “follow the seed” is a research approach that works well with different disciplinary and theoretical lenses, which together help uncover the drivers of seed system evolution. Understanding seed systems is not only important for efforts to make food systems more just and resilient, but also for exploring alternative configurations of relationships between humans and our companion species.

Ola Westengen is a professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in the department of international environment and development studies where he leads the Seed System Lab and co-leads the Sustainable Food Systems Arena. He is currently a visiting researcher in the LASEG research group at ICTA.