Seed bank couple fear GM threat to their life's work

Colin Brown / Independent (UK) 6may01

The loss of official organic status for Britain's national seed bank would be a personal tragedy for the husband-and-wife team who have devoted their life's work to building it up.

Alan and Jackie Gear, both qualified scientists, have spent nearly 30 years developing the Henry Doubleday Research Association since answering a job-vacancy advertisement in 1973 for "a young couple to run the research station". They were offered "full board, no pay" and have established the international reputation of the seed library as chief executive and general manager.

"It would be devastating for us," Mr Gear, 52, said. "We have been fighting to protect the organic status and it would be a terrible blow to lose it."

This weekend, hundreds of visitors will be expected to tour the organic gardens where pesticides are banned. The attractions are homespun and low-tech but hugely popular: tomorrow there will be a composting exhibition showing visitors the secrets of producing organic compost at home.

Ordinary gardeners can apply for the seed as "guardians" to grow in their own plots and allotments around the country, provided they follow the organic guidelines.

About 50,000 packets of seed are handed out free of charge by the centre each year. It also uses its gardens to grow about 100 varieties to bulk up seed for distribution to the 30,000 members of the heritage seed library.

The HDRA was created in 1954 by Lawrence Hills, a gardening writer, who devoted his life to popularising comfrey, a plant with a wide variety of uses introduced in the 19th century by Henry Doubleday, a Quaker smallholder. Mr Hills named his charitable campaign to promote comfrey and protect organic seed after Doubleday.

The resurgence of allotment gardening and self-sufficiency made more popular by the television comedy series The Good Life brought many new members to the HDRA.

The Gears found a new location and organised the centre's move from Bocking, near Braintree in Essex, to 22 acres at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry. There, 700 seed varieties ­ mostly open-pollinated vegetables ­ are kept. The heritage seed library maintains a collection, conducts research, campaigns and collates and distributes information.

Its website, www.hdra.org.uk says there are 10 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds to show off the delights of organic gardening. Campaigners for organic farming and gardening say that that may change with GM crops.