Pro Specie Rara

Today, I want to tell you about Pro Specie Rara. The site is only on German, French and Italian. Pro Specie Rara was founded 25 years ago. In todays supermarkets where we (have to) buy most of our food, there is a suprisingly little selection. There are about eight different kinds of apples, two types of pears and probably six types of potatoes.

Only at markets, you might find more variety, but even that is not sure. But in Switzerland there would be much more. More than 5'000 species of fruit existed less than hundred years ago, half of them lost forever. PSR tries to preserve what is left, their databank has more than 2'500 apples, accounting one third of the total content. There are more than 1'300 different pears listed as well as about 20 different patatoes.

Of course, it is not enough just to make a list. They even sell seeds and plants. But as soon as they managed to get Coop, one of the two major supermarkets in Switzerland, to sell their products, not just the seeds and plants but also and more important the tomatoes etc., they managed to get me as a client.

Every year I look forward to summer, when they sell the „Baselbieter Röteli“ my favourite tomato. I admit, they are more expensive but when you’ve tasted them once, there is no going back.