Lauren Baker: Preserving seed diversity to strengthen human health and ecological resilience
Dr. Lauren Baker (Twitter: @laurenobaker; Instagram: @laurenxfood) is the Director of Programs at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food (Twitter: @futureoffoodorg; Medium), which is a strategic alliance of philanthropic foundations working to transform global food systems through a systems-level approach and deep collaboration among philanthropy, researchers, grassroots movements, the private sector, farmers and food systems workers, Indigenous Peoples, government, and policymakers.
In this podcast episode, Dr. Baker sheds light on the importance of seed diversity; what true-cost-accounting is and why it's necessary; and more.
To start, get a glimpse below into the conversation between Dr. Baker and Green Dreamer Podcast's host, Kamea Chayne.
Musical feature: Trust The Sun by Politician Man by Adrian Sutherland
“Seed biodiversity has been eroding over the past decades and there are a couple of things that are driving this erosion: monoculture agriculture, the consolidation of seed companies over time, and [the fact that] most of the research and development is focused on a couple of key species.”
If you feel inspired by this episode, please consider donating a gift of support of any amount today!
This is a conversation on Green Dreamer with Kamea Chayne, a podcast and multimedia journal illuminating our paths towards ecological regeneration, intersectional sustainability, and true abundance and wellness for all. This preview has been edited for clarity. Subscribe to Green Dreamer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app, and support Green Dreamer on Patreon so we can keep the show going and accessible to a wider audience!
On the main drivers of seed biodiversity loss:
"Seed biodiversity has been eroding over the past decades, and there are a couple of things that are driving this erosion.
One is the monoculture agriculture that is disrupting local, traditional agriculture and replacing those seeds and agricultural systems with imported seeds and varieties. Sometimes that isn't so bad, [...] but when it's an export model of agriculture that's displacing local, traditional varieties, that's really problematic.
Another driver is the consolidation of seed companies over time. There were hundreds of seed companies all across the United States 60 years ago; now, many of them have disappeared or are owned by five main seed companies.
The third driver is that most of the research and development that is funded by those companies and by larger research institutes are focused on a couple of key species: corn, rice, and wheat.
There is a resurgence of interest in [reviving marginalized] crops but certainly not enough research dollars going into them to make a difference in terms of preserving those varieties, strengthening those seed systems, and promoting agricultural biodiversity at a wide scale."
Final words of wisdom:
"Right now, we're really seeing the power of connecting and organizing in new and different ways. I think that's one way to stay inspired, for sure."
