The World Seed Fund was created in answer to these frustrations. Through this program, ALSF gives seeds directly to the people who need them most. ALSF exclusively donates seeds and does not support administrative costs of programs. While it may be possible to question the wisdom of handing money to corrupt regimes or directly to individuals, it's clear why we should give people seeds. Seeds are not a free gift, rather they are a promise.
Seeds hold a promise of a season and a meal to come.
And if seeds are saved and replanted, they hold a promise of a lifetime of meals to come. Growing food and tending a garden is empowering. Receiving and growing seeds instills confidence in the recipient, rather than demoralization that comes from perpetually receiving gifts of money. Handling, counting and placing each individual seed is an act of faith and a plan for the future. In contrast, many of our recipients may have never planned for the future but were just struggling daily to survive.