Strain hunter: the little-known trade of the variety chaser

The term became popular around the turn of the 2010s, notably thanks to a documentary series produced by a Dutch seed company, which followed expeditions across Africa, South America and Asia in search of so-called "landrace" varieties, long adapted to their local climate. Those filmed expeditions brought to a wide audience a body of work previously carried out quietly, by amateur botanists and dedicated breeders.

A landrace variety has evolved over several generations in a specific environment, without crossing with commercial lines. It therefore retains an original genetic heritage, sometimes lost elsewhere because of the intensive hybridisation practised to produce stable, high-yielding commercial varieties. That heritage interests seed companies today as much for its botanical value as for the genetic stability it can bring to future selections, including for low-THC industrial hemp.

The daily life of a variety chaser has more in common with agronomic work than with romanticised adventure: negotiating with local growers, documenting growing conditions precisely, collecting seeds in compliance with local and international rules on the transport of seed. Logistics remains the main obstacle: many countries strictly prohibit the export of cannabis seeds, which sharply limits the legal scope for this kind of expedition.

The hemp grown in France for wellbeing CBD does not come from imported landrace varieties, but from lines entered in the official European catalogue, selected for a stable chemotype and a controlled THC content, in accordance with the Conseil d'État decision of 29 December 2022. The work of variety chasers nonetheless remains an indirect source of genetic diversity for long-term breeding programmes, including in the wellbeing hemp sector. Our article on indica and sativa revisits the botanical origins of these historical classifications.

Contrary to the adventurous image certain documentaries give it, this trade remains marginal and is practised by a small number of specialists, often attached to seed companies or agronomic research institutes. It is not a recognised commercial sector in France, where hemp growing remains reserved for declared farmers using certified seed.

Can seeds found abroad legally be brought home?

Generally no. Most countries strictly regulate the export of cannabis seed, and France requires the use of certified varieties entered in the official catalogue for any legal cultivation.

Are landrace varieties used in French CBD hemp?

Not directly. Hemp grown in France rests on lines entered in the official catalogue, but those lines may, further upstream, incorporate genetic contributions from breeding programmes that worked on local varieties.

Does this trade still exist today?

Yes, in a quieter and more institutional form, often tied to agronomic institutes or seed banks, rather than to the widely publicised expeditions of the 2010s.

What is the difference between a landrace variety and a commercial variety?

The landrace has evolved naturally in a specific environment without outside crossing, whereas the commercial variety results from directed selection towards a goal of yield or genetic stability.