E21: Dr. Cary Fowler on International Security and the Future of Food

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Dr. Cary Fowler—the 2024 World Food Prize Laureate, former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, and widely known as the architect of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Recorded during his tenure launching the Food Security Leadership Council, this conversation explores why crop diversity, soil health, and long-term agricultural R&D are among the most urgent and underestimated global security challenges of our time. Dr. Fowler reflects on growing up in the Southeastern United States, the civil rights movement, and how those experiences shaped a career dedicated to protecting the foundations of our food system.

The discussion also dives into the rising threats of climate change, soil degradation, and water scarcity; the need to prioritize nutrition security over calorie security; and why elevating indigenous crops—often grown by women—can transform both livelihoods and resilience.

Dr. Fowler closes with what gives him hope: young people, growing scientific capacity around the world, and a renewed return to the fundamentals that make agriculture work.

• https://www.caryfowler.com/
• https://www.foodsecurityleadership.org/