Project Description:
Cook-tivating Biodiversity is focused on saving, characterising, sharing seeds and gathering traditional knowledge and recipes of wild and local varieties in Almócita, a 200 inhabitants mountain village of Sierra Nevada Natural Park in Almería (Spain). The social garden will be the main place where citizen scientists will cultivate and create an open and shareable seed collection of wild and local varieties of plants to promote a more fair and sustainable food production. Our elder members of the community and farmers will be empowered and we will document their traditional knowledge and recipes to maintain them alive by ensuring the preservation of culinary heritage and promoting access to nutritious and culturally relevant foods. There are many ways to participate in the project: by doing interviews, sharing seeds and knowledge, cultivating and characterising varieties in your plot, preparing dishes for organoleptic assessments, analysing the data we will gather… there is room for everyone who wants to do citizen science.
Project Type: Kick Starter
Theme: Sustainable Lifestyles, Food
Mentor: Stefanie Schuerz
Cook-tivating Biodiversity: Reviving Traditional Seeds and Culinary Heritage in Almócita
Cook-tivating Biodiversity is a citizen science project inviting the community to rediscover and preserve traditional seeds and knowledge about edible biodiversity, strengthening food sovereignty in Almócita, a small village in the Alpujarra region of Almería, Spain.
While the entire population has participated, local farmers and rural women have played a central role, preserving traditional recipes, heirloom seeds, and valuable knowledge that we now seek to highlight and promote.
We have explored local seed varieties still present in the area and rediscovered the role of wild edible plants in Almócita’s cuisine. By combining art and science, we have showcased biodiversity, characterized traditional crops, conducted germination tests, and experimented with new culinary uses for edible ornamental plants, assessing their organoleptic properties.
What motivated you to join Cook-tivating Biodiversity?
“The innovative idea caught my attention. You engaged everyone in a fun and meaningful way, even those who didn’t realize they had knowledge to share. I also wanted to be part of something bigger than our town, with a real impact.”
Quote from a citizen scientist: Alicia Nieto Compán
Our community gatherings in the town square have brought people together to cook with seasonal ingredients, inspiring a recipe book that blends traditional and innovative dishes celebrating local biodiversity.
However, cultivated biodiversity and traditional knowledge are disappearing rapidly, increasing our reliance on an industrialized food system that threatens health, ecosystems, and the planet. Now is the time to preserve the wisdom of our elders, who hold the keys to sustainable practices and a resilient future.
Why is it important to preserve traditional seeds and knowledge?
“As life changes, we lose valuable knowledge about cultivation, plants, and the environment—essential for healthy living. We’ve also lost good habits like eating well and respectful farming. In the future, people will want to recover this knowledge, but it may be too late. That’s why preserving seeds and their knowledge is crucial.”
Quote from a citizen scientist: Alicia Nieto Compán
Beyond funding, IMPETUS has provided specialized training in citizen science and expert mentorship, ensuring a scientifically robust participatory process. It has also helped refine our strategy to maximize impact both locally and within the scientific community.
Our next step is to expand Almócita’s traditional seed collection through continued collaboration with the Cádiar Seed Bank. We also aim to integrate edible biodiversity into local businesses—one of Almócita’s two restaurants has already introduced wild plants into its menu, creating demand and encouraging cultivation. This initiative will preserve knowledge, inspire innovation, and celebrate the richness of our biodiversity.
What did you learn?
“I discovered plants, seeds, and recipes from my surroundings that I hadn’t recognized before. I also learned respectful ways to use them for food, decoration, and health, as well as how to care for them properly.”
Quote from a citizen scientist: Alicia Nieto Compán
