Increasingly, farmers like Tomas are turning to seed banks. A 2022 survey by the company Terraformation found more than 400 seed banks operating in 96 countries worldwide. Research by ASOCUCH has also found that cultivating these native seeds in banks has tripled farmers’ yields. Mexico’s national FES Iztacala Seed Bank, a state-led initiative, works directly with community seed banks and international partners to conserve about 12-13% of the country’s 23,000 plant species. Seed Savers Exchange, based in Iowa, is one of the nation’s largest nongovernmental seed banks, holding some 20,000 species.