It is important to know the origin of the varieties that you are going to cultivate in your garden.
When choosing the varieties from which you plan to produce seeds, you should avoid using ones that have been developed by the big seed industry. So do not use F1 or F2 hybrid seeds, GMOs or all seeds developed through biotechnology.
Plants grown from F1 and F2 hybrid seeds will not reproduce themselves identically. Their seeds can also be sterile or produce plants with unpredictable characteristics. By technically blocking their varieties, the seed multinationals can prevent gardeners from reproducing their own seeds and thereby keep their monopoly on the market.
These technical mechanisms reinforce the legal regulations that prohibit the free reproduction of seeds. All of these varieties are covered by intellectual property rights, such as plant property rights and patents.
To begin producing your own seeds, the seeds should be from varieties that are open-pollinated and if possible from organic, biodynamic or agro-ecological agriculture.
Nature is very generous and will in general provide you with far more seeds than you will need for your own use. The surplus can be given to others or exchanged.