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Untitled document
Untitled document
We are Organic Seed Alliance
MISSION:
Organic Seed Alliance supports the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed. We accomplish our goals through collaborative education, advisory services, and research programs with organic farmers and other seed professionals.
VISION:
Seed is both our common cultural heritage and a living natural resource fundamental to the future sustainability of food production. Proper stewardship of our genetic resources necessitates not only its conservation, but careful management in a manner which allows seed to continually evolve with challenges of the environment, cultural practices of sustainable agriculture and the need to feed people. Through advocacy, collaborative education, advisory services, and research we work to restore and develop seed varieties for current needs while safeguarding invaluable genetic resources for future generations.
PROGRAMS:
Education, Information, and Advocacy:
Educational opportunities, workshops, and publications aimed at increasing genetic conservation, and improving organic seed production, plant breeding for organic agriculture, and developing healthy seed systems.
Collaborative Research:
Research that develops healthy seed systems, improves organic seed production practices and develops new, appropriate germplasm for organic agriculture. Participatory Plant Breeding activities are a core component of our research program, bringing together breeding experts with organic farmers to result in new organic seed varieties adapted to local ecosystems/ecological bioregions and communities.
Advisory Services:
Direct technical assistance and consultations to organic farmers, seed producers, and other seedspeople resulting in an over-all increase in the quality, quantity, and diversity of organic seed.
World Seed Fund:
Charitable distribution of organic, open-pollinated seeds and seed-saving knowledge. Among the people we serve are prison gardens, refugee gardens, sustainable agricultural development projects, educational gardens, and low-income urban gardens. Seed farmers trained in our educational programs become the producers of WSF seed.
Accomplishments in 2009.
Micaela Colley, Director of Research and Education working with researchers in the Northern Organic Variety Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC) to breed and trial varieties for production under organic conditions. She delivers seed-related technical support to farmers, is the lead in seeds and breeds content development for eOrganic and recently published the Organic Seed Resource guide.
Matthew Dillon, Director of Advocacyworking with organic farmers, food companies, seed companies and advocacy groups to create a “State of Organic Seed Report” that captures the successes, obstacles, opportunities, and risks of contamination from genetically engineered (GMO) crops in organic seed systems. This report, the first of its kind, will promote and protect organic food and seed integrity. Matthew is the OSA liason for the Roundup Ready Sugar Beet suit.
Dan Hobbs, Executive Director forming cooperatives and farmer-based enterprises in key seed production regions throughout the western United States that protect farmers rights to save seed, preserve heritage varieties, foster bio-regional independence, and diversity farm income.
Dr. John Navazio, Senior plant breeder bringing research into the field, working with farmers to adapt their vegetable and grain crops for production under organic conditions, season extension and seed production for organic markets. Through traditional field breeding methods he is developing crops with horizontal resistane to disease, cold soil tolerance, the abillity to compete with weeds, and tolerance to heat and drought stress.
Jared Zyskowski, Intern trialing over 150 vegetable varieties to find the the ones that are best for regional seed production, and completing two seed production manuals that will join the other publications OSA provides free to farmers.
Please consider making OSA a part of your annual giving. Donate now
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