A new from a team of ̽̽ researchers explores the resilience of Vermont's seed systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Daniel Tobin, assistant professor in Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE), the report found more than half of the commercial farmers and gardeners in the study sample had difficulty accessing seeds during the 2020 growing season, but demonstrated the ability to adapt amidst unprecedented circumstances.
With widespread global supply chain disruptions, increased demand for seeds and a lack of access to established distribution channels, growers faced difficulty acquiring seeds, especially for key crops such as garlic, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and potatoes. This resulted in growers pivoting to community support and use of different seeds to continue growing food. These findings are critical to understanding Vermont’s food-culture, especially given the small-scale farming that is prevalent in the state, said co-author Ali Brooks, food systems M.S. student at ̽̽.
“The state has a reputation for its focus on food, and yet it can sometimes seem like the same attention doesn't extend to the seeds that make it all possible,” said Brooks. “This project really highlighted the complexity and vibrancy of seed systems within the state, especially when contrasted against the mega seed entities that control so much of the supply on a national or even global scale. The importance of the work that small-scale farmers and gardeners do to maintain a robust, diverse, and adaptable supply of seed cannot be overstated.”
Approximately two-thirds of the global market share for seeds is dominated by only four seed companies, according to the report, resulting in the consolidation of seed varieties and making the industry to more susceptible to major shocks including climate events. As climate change alters growing conditions around the world, crops that are locally adapted to their environments will be better positioned to maintain food productivity and sustain their communities.
With funding from the Food Systems Research Center at ̽̽, Tobin, together with colleagues Eric Bishop von Wettberg (Plant and Soil Science), Travis Reynolds and David Conner (CDAE), graduate students Brooks and Carina Isbell and undergraduate student Evie Wolfe, spent the past two years exploring how a major shock – the COVID-19 pandemic – altered seed systems in the region and how local growers responded to increased pressures.
Through surveys of Vermont’s farmers and gardeners, they found that although the pandemic made obtaining seeds more difficult, growers were resourceful, shifting production and sourcing strategies to adapt to disruptions and challenges. Strategies included utilizing new crop varieties and species and increased community-based seed exchange and donation programs. Carina Isbell, a CDAE M.S. student, noted this as a silver-lining of the pandemic that is representative of Vermont and Vermonters.
“I think this study highlights more opportunities than barriers: it shows how much motivation Vermonters have to grow their own food from seed, their willingness to help others in their community, as well as their dedication to supporting local food (and seed!) systems. Farmers and gardeners are so central to the cultural fabric of Vermont – and it’s important to feature not only what they need to thrive, but also the essential work that they continue to do by providing seed and food to our communities,” said Isbell.
The report is part of a broader, interdisciplinary initiative Tobin is leading at ̽̽ to better understand the regional seed systems of Vermont and the Northeast and to help increase access to culturally meaningful crops. The project stemmed out of many years of international work with smallholder farmers in South America and Africa and observing the ways they utilized seed systems to maintain crop diversity in their fields.
“Considering the importance of seeds – biologically, institutionally, culturally – to agricultural production, I thought these systems would be important to explore in our local context,” said Tobin. “We’re finding some very interesting commonalities between the dynamics in the Global South and what’s happening right here in our Northeast region.”
In addition to exploring the social dynamics of seed sourcing, the team is working to collect and log information on crop genetic heritage. This work is central to diversifying the availability and accessibility of seeds and ensuring a viable and socially just food system in the face of climate change.
“Projects like this show the need for interdisciplinary approaches to developing a more resilient seed system. We hope this an important first step towards building our capacity for further contributions to a vibrant, diverse, local food system,” said Bishop von Wettberg, who is leading the Consortium for Crop Genetic Heritage, along with Tobin, Reynolds, and Associate Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences Yolanda Chen, a growing research collective at ̽̽ to harness expertise across the seed system.
The research was funded with a Rapid Response to COVID-19 grant from the ̽̽ Food Systems Research Center. It is emblematic of the type of projects that align with the center’s mission to improve human health, wellbeing and livelihoods, and environmental sustainability, through food systems.
