The widespread decline of crop plant diversity is a serious, global environmental issue both within and outside crop domestication hearth areas.  The decline of crop plant diversity has reached crisis proportions, which threatens the human food supply.  There are various factors that have contributed to this decline including the introduction of so-called improved varieties in agricultural landscapes, cultural and economic changes among traditional farmers, and the development of a global marketplace that emphasizes uniformity and high production levels over diversity.  As a result of the decline of crop plant diversity, various in situ and ex situ conservation efforts have been employed to reverse this trend.  This paper reviews seed saving and exchange efforts as a means of preserving rare crop plants, specifically in the United States.  Two organizations, Seed Savers Exchange and the Maine Seed Saving Network, are reviewed.  This paper argues that these organizations provide many valuable services in the battle to conserve crop plant diversity.

Keywords: crop plant diversity, in situ conservation, seed savers