Peliti speeches in Amorgos: Traditional seeds, self-sufficiency, and organic farming

We are very pleased to welcome Panagiotis Sainatoudis, the founder of the Peliti community, to Amorgos for a series of talks and educational activities dedicated to traditional seeds, sustainable agriculture, and the relationship between humans and nature.

The main purpose of Peliti is the collection, preservation, and free dissemination of traditional seed varieties — a vital action for safeguarding the genetic wealth of cultivation, the self-sufficiency of local communities, and the resilience of crops against the challenges of climate change.

Since 1990, Panagiotis Sainatoudis has been tirelessly working, with perseverance and a deep love for the land, keeping alive the idea of the seed as a cultural and existential heritage. In his talks, he shared his personal journey close to nature, the art of preserving seeds and food without electricity, as well as practical knowledge that connects the past with the future of food.

The open talks took place:

• Aigiali — Saturday 29/11/25, Cultural Center of Langada

• Katapola — Sunday 30/11/25, Cultural Center of Katapola

• Arkessin — Sunday 30/11/25, tavern Marousso

With a large participation of residents and farmers, the meetings provided a valuable opportunity for open discussion, sharing ideas, and experiences around sowing, seed exchange, and natural cultivation practices. The response from the local community highlighted the strong interest in preserving traditional varieties and the agricultural heritage of the island.

At the same time, presentations were held at the Gymnasium and EPAL of Amorgos, where students learned about the work and philosophy of Peliti, dedicated to the preservation of traditional varieties, self-sufficiency, and sustainable agriculture. The activity concluded with the symbolic offering of traditional seeds to the students, conveying a living message of responsibility and continuity to the next generations.

We invited Peliti to Amorgos because we deeply believe in the importance of preserving traditional seeds and local agricultural knowledge. From hand to hand and from generation to generation, seeds continue to be carriers of memory, self-sufficiency, and the future.

We warmly thank Panagiotis Sainatoudis for his presence, inspiration, and the knowledge he shared with us, the directors, teachers, and students of the schools for their hospitality, as well as all those who actively participated in the talks and supported the initiative.

A big thank you to everyone who came, listened, and became part of this shared experience.