Increasing agrobiodiversity is a necessary condition for sustainability of food systems, in terms of
resilience of agroecosystems and proper diet. Hand in hand with the development of a multi-actor and multi-
dimensional approach to agrobiodiversity management, there has been an evolution of the ways to address it,
when conceiving, analysing, promoting, running and supporting these processes. This has led to look at
agrobiodiversity management as a dynamic process, centred on the role of farmers and communities (community
biodiversity management). This perspective introduces new opportunities in terms of farmer empowerment and
strengthening of local food systems. Within this new paradigm a key role can be played by Community Seed
Banks (CSBs), as intermediate actors between ex situ and on farm systems, facilitating access to plant genetic
resources by farmers and promoting innovation processes at local level, through participatory and decentralised
plant breeding. The EU research project DIVERSIFOOD has been working on multi-actor and participatory
approaches to agrobiodiversity dynamic management since 2015, focussing also on the role of CSBs in Europe
and the dynamics underlying their development. This paper investigates these dynamics, analysing the processes
through which these initiatives are set up by local multi-actor networks, how they function and the challenges
they have to face. CSBs represent potential alternative systems to the management of seeds/varieties, but need to
be recognised and supported in their role. The paper draws on the empirical material provided by a survey of 84
initiatives and on the results of two workshops with representatives of the initiatives