Description
Kokopelli is a French association that sells organic and biodynamic seeds of open-pollinated varieties: more than 2,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers, many of them old varieties no longer sold elsewhere. Because the seeds are not hybrids, gardeners can save their own seeds from their plants and sow them again the next year.
Dominique Guillet founded it in 1999, and his son Ananda Guillet has led it since 2018. It is based in Le Mas-d’Azil, in the Ariège, after more than ten years in Alès. In 2016 it had nearly 12,000 members and about 120,000 customers. Part of the seed is bought from producers and partner seed companies. Through its “Semences sans frontières” programme it gives seeds to farmers in poorer countries so they can become self-sufficient in seed.
Kokopelli has long fought the rules that limit the sale of varieties not listed in the official catalogue. It was convicted on appeal in 2006 for selling unregistered seeds, and in 2012 the EU Court of Justice ruled against it in its case with the seed company Baumaux. It has also drawn criticism: UFC-Que Choisir ranked its tomato and carrot seeds last in a 2013 comparison, and in 2019 the Académie nationale de médecine warned against a campaign it ran promoting artemisia.
Strengths
- A huge choice of old and rare varieties.
- Organic seeds you can save and resow.
- An association that defends the free exchange of seeds.
Weaknesses
- Germination and yields can be more variable than with hybrids, and UFC-Que Choisir ranked its tomato and carrot seeds last in 2013.
- Some varieties are adapted to southern climates.
- Criticised for its management and for health campaigns, such as the one on artemisia in 2019.
Who it is for
Gardeners who want to grow and keep their own varieties.