Global Seed Savers

EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY SUPPORTING SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN CREATING LOCAL FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND FOSTERING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL TRAINING AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY-OWNED AND OPERATED SEED LIBRARIES.

GLOBAL SEED SAVERS WORKS AT A GRASSROOTS LEVEL TO RETURN FARMERS TO THE COLLECTIVE INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF SAVING SEEDS. SAVING SEEDS NOT ONLY CREATES RESILIENT SEEDS, BUT ALSO BUILDS THE COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY OF STEWARDING THESE RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO LOCAL SEEDS BUILDS INCREASED AUTONOMY AND RESILIENCY. DESPITE THE MANY CHALLENGES THAT 2021 THREW AT US INCLUDING; CONTINUING TO NAVIGATE THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC, A DEVASTATING TYPHOON IMPACTING ALL OF OUR PARTNER FARMERS IN CEBU THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS, AND GROWING POLITICAL INSTABILITY IN THE PHILIPPINES AND AROUND THE GLOBE. WE ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT 2021 WAS OUR STRONGEST YEAR TO DATE! NOT ONLY DID WE SECURE THE MOST FUNDING IN THE HISTORY OF OUR ORGANIZATION (INCLUDING A TRANSFORMATIVE MULTI-YEAR GIFT), ENABLING US TO MAKE LONG TERM PLANS FOR OUR SUSTAINABILITY, WE ALSO GREW OUR TEAM ON THE GROUND HIRING TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS IN THE PHILIPPINES TO BETTER RESPOND TO THE GROWING DEMANDS OF OUR PROGRAMS. THIS TEAM GROWTH IS MOVING US FROM A SMALL GRASSROOTS START UP ORGANIZATION, INTO OUR NEXT PHASE AS A RISING LEADER IN OUR FIELD OF FOOD AND SEED SOVEREIGNTY. WE HAVE BOTH THE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OUR MISSION THANKS TO THIS TREMENDOUS GROWTH. MUCH OF 2021 WAS SPENT IMPROVING OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS AS A TEAM AS WE RAPIDLY GREW AND ON BOARDED OUR WONDERFUL NEW TEAM MEMBERS, WE ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT OUR TWO MAIN PARTNER FARMERS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE BENGUET ASSOCIATION OF SEED SAVERS AND THE CEBU SEED SAVERS WITH: DIRECT COVID RELIEF, ON FARM SEED CABINETS AND SEED SAVING MATERIALS, TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND DIRECT TYPHOON RELIEF FOR ALL THOSE IMPACTED BY THE DEVASTATION OF TYPHOON ODETTE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. IN ADDITION, OUR 1,200 SQ METER SEED PRODUCTION AREA AT ARPAL FARM IN NORTHERN CEBU TOOK ROOT AND WE ARE NOW HARVESTING AT LEAST 20 VARIETIES OF LOCALLY PRODUCED SEEDS AT THIS SITE. OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: -ACTIVATED A 1,200 SQ METER SEED PRODUCTION AREA, SEED NURSERY, AND NEW SEED LIBRARY AT ARAPAL FARM IN NORTHERN CEBU. CURRENTLY HARVESTING OVER 20 VARIETIES OF LOCALLY PRODUCED SEEDS THAT WILL IMPACT A SURROUNDING COMMUNITY OF OVER 30,000 PEOPLE. -BEGAN SELLING SEEDS THROUGH OUR SEED ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE BENGUET ASSOCIATION OF SEED SAVERS. GENERATING OVER $1,000 USD IN LOCAL SALES AND IMPROVED LIVELIHOOD FOR 5 SEED ENTREPRENEURS. -SUPPORTED INCREASED PRODUCTION OF INDIGENOUS AND HEIRLOOM SEEDS WITH THE BENGUET ASSOCIATION OF SEED SAVERS. THESE SEEDS ADAPT TO THE EVER CHANGING CLIMATE AND ENSURE LONG TERM SEED AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY FOR COMMUNITIES. -DISTRIBUTED ON-FARM SEED LIBRARY KITS TO 35 PARTNER FARMERS TO SUPPORT THEIR ON-FARM SEED SAVING AND SEED PRODUCTION EFFORTS. -HIRED TWO NEW PHILIPPINE TEAM MEMBERS, A PROGRAM MANAGER AND MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER TO SUPPORT THE GROWING DEMAND FOR OUR PROGRAMS AND WORK. WE ARE CURRENTLY A TEAM OF 4 FULL-TIME AND 4 PART-TIME STAFF. -COLLABORATED ON A DYNAMIC RESEARCH PROJECT ENTITLED, ANG PAGTANOM UG BINHI (THE PLANTING OF SEED): EXPLORING THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES. LED BY DR. ANTONIA R.G. ALVAREZ OF PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK. CONDUCTED 20 FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS OF PARTNER FARMERS AND ORGANIZATIONS GATHERING STORIES OF THIS MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT. -RESPONDED TO THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF OUR PARTNERS IMPACTED BY TYPHOON ODETTE (RAI) THE WEEK PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS BY DISTRIBUTING: SOLAR LIGHTS, WATER, DRY GOODS AND RAISING OVER $8,000 USD TO SUPPORT THE LONG TERM REBUILDING AND RECOVERY OF OUR PARTNER FARMERS IMPACTED IN CEBU. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE CRITICAL TIME TO SAVE SEEDS AND BUILD TRULY LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS AND WE ARE THRILLED TO BE IN A POSITION TO SUPPORT THE GROWING NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS RECONNECTING WITH THIS FUNDAMENTAL PRACTICE.