Reflecting on the pain and progress of 2020, Organic Seed Alliance is grateful to have persevered through a challenging year thanks to supporters who believe in our mission and in humanity’s co-evolution with seeds. This 2020 Annual Report chronicles how OSA pivoted to meet needs during the pandemic while broadening access to our research, education, and advocacy programs and inviting dialogue on how to make seed systems more socially just.
With appreciation for our funders, partners and collaborators, we present OSA’s 2020 Annual Report (PDF). To learn more about the impact of our work, please contact Executive Director Cara Loriz.
Highlights from our 2020 report include:
- Hosted the biennial ORGANIC SEED GROWERS CONFERENCE featuring a seed ethics intensive that prepared us to respond as calls for social justice intensified and to act on an organization-wide commitment to DISMANTLE SYSTEMIC RACISM IN AGRICULTURE
- Engaged 37 FARMERS AS ON-FARM RESEARCH PARTNERS woking with 15 MAJOR CROP GROUPS and advancing hundreds of varieties or breeding lines
- Advanced 30 CARROT BREEDING LINES and 3 NEW VARIETIES are being released in partnership with USDA
- With help from 9 HOST FARMS, we graduated 23 STUDENTS from our ONLINE ORGANIC SEED PRODUCTION COURSE
- Co-hosted 3 ADVOCACY AND POLICY LISTENING SESSIONS reaching over 580 FARMERS, SEED GROWERS, PLANT BREEDERS, AND ADVOCATES live and counting with recordings
- Authored an op-ed in CIVIL EATS on SEED PATENT THREATS that reached 98,000 DEVICES and was shared with over 108,000 PEOPLE on social media
- Delivered seed education, shared resources, and advocated for strong policies during in-person and online events reaching 5,000 PEOPLE
All of these efforts support a sustainable food future built on a foundation of organic seed. Read many more highlights from 2020 below, and then join our efforts by signing up for organic seed updates or donating today.
