Underground Heroes (October 2023) by SeedChange

THE LATEST NEWS FROM SEEDCHANGE OCTOBER 2023

Underground Heroes PHOTO CREDIT: KATIE AZI

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Welcome to the October edition of Underground Heroes. We always look forward to bringing you the latest seed news from Canada and in the countries our partners work in around the world. As October in Canada (we see you, Canadian Thanksgiving...) is a month for giving thanks, we want you to know how grateful we are to have you as an integral part of our global SeedChange community. October is also the month that hosts World Food Day. It's an important reminder that farmers (and seeds) are at the core of our food system. With that in mind, on World Food Day, we shared a short video of some of the farmers we partner with. Many of you, in return, visited our website's donor page or called our fundraising team to show farmers that you support them and their work. For your generosity, we thank you. Your continued support serves as a reminder as to just how vital this work is, and we're glad to have you on this journey with us. And, if you want to stay up-to-date on our work in Canada and with our partners around the world, don’t forget to subscribe to our e-newsletter.

- Letitia Ama Deawuo, Executive Director

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A welcome message from SeedChange’s Executive Director SEEDCHANGE GIVES THANKS ON WORLD FOOD DAY

On October 16th, SeedChange celebrated World Food Day and gave thanks to farmers, and you gave back too! THE PURPLE PEPPER BREEDING PROJECT

Join SeedChange in the exciting world of Participatory Plant Breeding as we give an update on our Purple Pepper Breeding Project in pursuit of the perfect pepper TRANSFORMING LIVES AND STRENGTHENING LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS IN HONDURAS

See how small-scale farmers in Honduras are transforming lives and landscapes through sustainable agriculture and gender equality FROM ROASTED SQUASH TO SALAD, SOUP, AND COOKIES: OUR FAVOURITE SQUASH RECIPES

BITS & BITES Some final takeaways

SEEDCHANGE CELEBRATES WORLD FOOD DAY (OCT 16)

Farmers and seeds are the lifeline of our food supply chain. But farming is also hard work that requires yearround investment. On World Food Day, we’re reminding farmers that they can count on us.

On Monday, October 16th, SeedChange celebrated World Food Day. Farmers and seeds are the lifeline of our food supply chain... But farming is also hard work that requires year-round investment. And most of the world relies on agricultural biodiversity for proper nourishment. We are grateful for farmers every day of the year, but, on World Food Day, we took some extra time to reflect on just how vital their work is. So the next time you sit down for a meal, and look at the bounty of fresh food on your table, take a moment to thank a farmer.

UNDERGROUND HEROES October 2023

THE PURPLE PEPPER BREEDING PROJECT In 2020, SeedChange initiated a purple pepper breeding project. The goal? Develop a low heat purple hot pepper. The idea came from farmer Jean-François Daoust, of Les Jardins de l’Ile-Dupas, who crossed a purple cayenne with an Espelette pepper. He then selected the first and second generations. Following this, SeedChange's Program Manager, Hugo, mixed seed from the best F2 (second generation) plants together and sent them to a number of farmers so they could grow out more plants and select them in the field.

As part of a special project aimed at developing a lowheat purple hot pepper, Quebec farmer Dan Brisebois selected his nine semi-finalists of the season. Photo: Dan Brisebois.

The peppers you see here are the nine semi-finalists farmer Dan Brisebois, of Ferme coopérative Tourne-Sol, selected as part of this Participatory Plant Breeding Project. Out of the 120 F3 plants he grew on his farm this season, only those nine made the cut. After a vigorous taste test, Dan then selected four finalists that meet the criteria we’re looking for and have just the right amount of heat. The seeds from Dan’s four finalist plants will be sent back to us. They will then get mixed with the selections from the other participants in the project, which now includes 10 farms across the province of Quebec. The F4 seed will then be grown and selected again next year. Seed work really is slow work!

LEARN MORE

TRANSFORMING LIVES AND STRENGTHENING LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS IN HONDURAS

Women farmers Nellys Rivera, Enriqueta Mancia, Aida Alvarado, Victoria Aguirre, and Alma Iris Dominguez cultivating taro in the hills of Honduras.

In the heart of Honduras, climate change and post-pandemic uncertainty have cast a shadow on the lives of many small-scale farmers. The daily challenges they face puts their livelihoods and the food security of their communities at risk. Since 1998, SeedChange has worked with Foundation for Participatory Research with Honduran Farmers (Fundación para la Investigación Participativa con Agricultores de Honduras, FIPAH) as part of our Seeds of Survival (SoS) program. Using a grassroots and participatory approach, women, men, and youth in farmer research committees known as CIALs (Comités de Investigación Agrícola Local) carry out research and training to address agricultural challenges by working collaboratively with dedicated field technicians and facilitators. The goal? To improve the resilience, food security, and income of local women, men, and youth, and rural and Indigenous communities in Honduras.

The program has reached 1,782 households this year, 74% of which are led by women. By creating spaces for women's participation in decision-making and nurturing a dialogue about gender equality, CIALs have unlocked opportunities for women's leadership and economic empowerment. Strengthening agroecological practices has been particularly significant for hillside farming, which is the only land available to many families. The program has also helped strengthen local seed systems, crucial for food security and climate change adaptation. Thanks to this work, women have been stepping into leadership roles, and local seed systems have been fortified, ensuring better seed sovereignty for the region. While we've made substantial progress since the inception of the program, we also acknowledge that ongoing challenges persist. Through your support, we hope to continue our work in Honduras in the years to come. READ THE REPORT

UNDERGROUND HEROES October 2023

OUR FAVOURITE SQUASH RECIPES DID YOU KNOW? The largest squash on record weighed a whopping 2,624 pounds! This massive vegetable was grown in Belgium in 2016, breaking the previous world record of 2,323 pounds set in 2014. Squash come in all shapes and sizes, but it's hard to imagine just how big they can get! Squash farming in Canada has a long history, with different varieties of squash being grown across the country. The cultivation of squash, along with other agricultural practices, has played a significant role in the growth and development of Canada's agricultural industry. From roasted squash to salad, soup, and cookies, check out some of our favourite squash recipes, generously shared with us by farmers and friends of the SeedChange community, to help you make the most of this fall season.

TAKE ME THERE

Bits & Bites Some final takeaways...

Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) Granted Charitable Status, to Transition from SeedChange SeedChange is pleased to announce that Farmers for Climate Solutions (FSC), which started as a program of SeedChange, has been formally granted charitable status by the Canada Revenue Agency. With this important step completed, the FCS staff, in collaboration with the FCS Board and SeedChange, engaged in finalizing this transition. Effective October 1, Farmers for Climate Solutions is now an independent charitable organization, and SeedChange congratulates the FCS team, who have been hard at work preparing for this exciting new chapter!

SeedChange partner, Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) is hosting its renowned gender festival, in Dar es Salaam, between November 7-10, 2023. With several SeedChange partners participating in this longstanding event, we will be sharing festival highlights via our social channels. More details about the festival are available here. Watch a short documentary about the festival here. What are you curious about on your farm? Do onions and cauliflower make good neighbours? What does your soil need to make your blooms flourish? Need help choosing between a billion different corn varieties?

EFAO's (a SeedChange partner) Call for Curiosity is your chance to satisfy that curiosity by getting involved in the Farmer-Led Research Program. Applications for the 2024 season are now open. More details about this program are available here.

Join our powerful community of monthly givers and deepen your impact. Farming requires investment year-round. When you give monthly, you provide consistent support that makes a significant difference in the lives of farmers. Giving monthly is also easy. Your donations will be deducted as automatic payments on the 15th of every month and we’re always an email or phone call away if you want to make any changes. And the best part? No monthly amount is too small to make a large impact. To set up your monthly giving, visit our website, call us at 1-800-565-6872 ext. 1, or email fundraising@weseedchange.org.

SeedChange (formerly USC Canada) is a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova and rooted in the notions of human dignity and equality. Today, we work with farmers around the world, including Canada, to shift the way we grow our food. By harnessing the power of good seeds, farmer leadership and global solidarity, we help communities thrive.

SeedChange | 1.800.565.6872 | info@weseedchange.org | weseedchange.org We are a registered Canadian charity: 11927-6129-RR-0001