By Ana Galvis *
Dear Organic Seed Alliance community,
Everyday the summer feels closer and my heart is full of hope for the harvest, hope for every moment of the season. My heart also feels some fear because lately I have seen dangerous fires going around in many familiar places, and I wonder: Would that happen to us? When will it be our turn?
Then, I think in the reEvolution that is happening in front of our eyes with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and I feel uncertainty (as I understand AI is a technological imitation of some areas of our brain -but not all the brain, only some portions- related to some human skills, and some people say that the functions it imitates are really impressive), and I wonder: What will happen with us? How will navigate these waters? What will guide us through this reEvolution? What will be the impact of AI in our organic food systems?
Our organic agriculture, in so much need of clean water, healthy soils, and decent air quality, how will it be impacted by AI? It seems that AI needs massive amounts of electricity and water to run the reEvolution. How will that energy be produced? How will that water be provided? Who will pay for environmental “externalities”, for example pollution, of this reEvolution?
And while I keep asking questions, I dream about the summer, also about the fall and the winter, and I wonder: Will the cycle of life continue rolling as we know them?
But this note is not only to share about my reflections on the farm, I also want to express my gratitude to the universe and each of their representatives on this planet. Very honored to give a warm welcome to our Organic Seed Production Course cohort 2025 in its synchronous version. As now, we have 28 beginner organic seed farmers, 11 states represented from three countries. Thank you to the students, the mentors, the guest speakers, the OSA team, the taxpayers and everything and everyone that contributed for it to happen.
Also excited to share with all of you that thanks to the generosity of a Western Extension Risk Management Education (WERME) grant, we are designing a course in Plant Breeding for Resilient Organic Systems. Some experienced organic farmers and breeders have reached out to us to offer support for this collaborative effort. Thank you for such a big solidarity, we will keep you posted and for sure we will accept your generous support at many levels, when it is the moment.
In times of uncertainty and instability the sun wakes me up every morning, sometimes blue and clear, sometimes wrapped in clouds, always on time, as expected, always cyclical, always certain. May his force be balanced, may this season be productive and safe for all of us.
*As many organizations in this historic moment, the Organic Seed Alliance is co-creating a policy for Artificial Intelligence use, doing their best to minimize harm. The reflections of this piece are exclusively the position of the author and do not reflect the position of the organization.
