TEIKEI Network › Breeders, Farms, and Producers › Seeds and Breeding · 3 min read
ProSpecieRara is a Swiss foundation. Since 1982, it has been committed to ensuring the survival of endangered cultivated plants and livestock breeds. Its guiding principle: diversity is only preserved if it is used.
This page summarizes publicly available information about the foundation (as of October 2026). ProSpecieRara is an independent organization.
| Legal form | Foundation |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Wildegg in the canton of Aargau, since February 2025 |
| Additional locations | Chambésy (French-speaking Switzerland), San Pietro (Ticino) |
| Plants | Over 5,700 varieties: vegetables, field crops, potatoes, fruit, berries, vines, willows, ornamental plants, herbs, and medicinal plants |
| Animals | 42 breeds from nine animal species |
| Germany | ProSpecieRara Deutschland, non-profit GmbH, since 2011 |
The seed library stores seeds from over 1,700 rare vegetable, field, and ornamental plant varieties. Each variety is additionally secured at a second location.
Over 500 volunteer variety custodians grow these varieties in their own gardens, harvest the seeds, clean them, and send them back. They were trained for this in seed cultivation courses. Every incoming and outgoing seed is recorded in a database to track its journey.
Regular cultivation is intentional. Seed banks freeze seeds. ProSpecieRara considers cultivation important to preserve knowledge and allow varieties to adapt to changing conditions.
Varieties with fewer than ten portions of viable seeds are placed on the Red List and are specifically cultivated. For demanding crops, specialized farms like Sativa Rheinau handle preservation breeding, annually for about 15 varieties.
Around 2,500 fruit varieties grow on over 15,000 trees in more than 150 orchards, mostly at private residences. Each variety should be represented on six trees at a minimum of three locations.
The 42 breeds are preserved by breeders and breeding associations. For almost every breed, there is a dedicated association that maintains the breeding registry, arranges animals, and advises keepers.
Quality Seal. Since 2005, a quality seal has been available. It certifies that a product comes from rare varieties or breeds and that the producers are committed to their preservation. It can be obtained by:
Access. The variety finder allows users to search for varieties and sources. A diversity map shows where products are available and who keeps which breeds.
Markets. Since 2000, there has been a seedling market in Wildegg, attracting over 10,000 visitors.
Collaboration. Since 1999, the foundation has worked with Coop, one of its most important partners.
ProSpecieRara is looking for people to care for varieties or keep animals of rare breeds: Save Varieties and Save Breeds.
↑ One level up: Seeds and Breeding
By Felix Schröder, with support from AI (Claude)
Created on October 10, 2026 · Last updated on October 11, 2026
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