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/

This episode of Oh Crop! features a conversation between host Kat Morgan and Dr. Stefan Schmitz, who is the Executive Director of the Crop Trust. Recorded during New York Climate Week 2025, the discussion centers on the imperative role of crop diversity in securing the future of our food system, connecting the historical globalization of food, where major crops originated far from where they are now grown, to the present-day risks of over-relying on a narrow selection of staple crops.

Dr. Schmitz champions agrobiodiversity and the shift toward using neglected crops as a strategic solution to build resilience against climate change, address nutritional deficiencies, and ensure healthier diets. He makes a compelling, concise case for global financial commitment to conservation, noting that a one-time investment to secure all global crop diversity is a mere fraction of the funds currently misdirected through agricultural subsidies. Ultimately, the conversation offers hope, looking to advances in life and data science to unlock the full potential of conserved genetic resources to future-proof our food supply.

Read about the Crop Trust Here

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Ana Rosa de Lima and Ivi Pauli, PhD, from the Meli Bees Network.

This woman-led global organization connects over 100 indigenous and local communities with the resources and partners they need to regenerate their environments and strengthen their territories.

Anna, the director and founder, shares how her indigenous heritage and experience in the Amazon guide her work, while biologist Ivi Pauli discusses weaving indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge at Meli. The episode also explores how the name "Meli Bees" is a nod to the stingless bees (meliponines), which serve as a perfect inspiration for their work in creating both social and environmental impact. The conversation reveals how the network, built on trust, supports communities to lead their own climate solutions, such as community-led agroforestry projects and meliponiculture, which involves the production of stingless bees for medicinal and food consumption, as well as environmental conservation.

To learn more about the Meli Bees Network, visit their website at https://www.meli-bees.org/.