The Seeds Collective is an initiative focused on researching and photographing ancestral Brazilian seeds. Spearheaded by photographer Riccardo Riccio in collaboration with the agroecological accelerator Trovão Tropical, the project aims to photographically catalog heirloom seeds preserved for generations by small-scale producers, indigenous peoples, and quilombola communities across the five biomes of Brazil.

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Over two years of expeditions throughout the country, the project collected over 300 species of unique seeds. Alongside seed guardians, it documented oral traditions regarding cultivation and management, spiritual and medicinal properties, and incredible stories associated with each seed. This research is compiled in the Seeds and Tales book-catalog, published by Plataforma9 in 2024.

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The sale of the collection of macro photographs printed on canvas fine art paper contributes to supporting urban gardens, reforestation projects, and the establishment of syntropic agroforestry systems in indigenous and quilombola communities in Brazil.

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All seed species portrayed in the project were donated, exchanged and ultimately  to fulfil their  ecological function in the pursuit of food sovereignty, genetic preservation of threatened species, and biome restoration.

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The Seeds Collective goes beyond contemplatively portraying the wonders of the natural world; it also preserves ancestral stories and their peoples, while inviting reflection on expanding the regenerative possibilities of Brazilian biomes.