b'HELPING FARMERS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD BECOMESELF-SUFFICIENTIn some communities, the nearest seed store can be hundreds of miles away. Seed Programs International is finding solutions.Marc ZienkiewiczSEED COMPANIES AREaiding in a mission to help farmers in the developing world get better access to quality vegeta-ble seed.At the recent American Seed Trade Association Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference in Monterey, Calif., Peter Marks, president and CEO of Seed Programs International (SPI), offered an update on the success of Seed Programs International in its mission to provide quality seed, expertise, and training materials to humani-tarian organizations working around the world to alleviate hunger and poverty.In 2019, SPI celebrated 20 years since its founding. Sadly, it also lost its founder, John Batcha, who passed away in June of 2019.Batcha founded SPI in 1998 to meet a need he saw in the world. Combining his agricultural expertise withPeter Marks, president and CEO of Seed Programs International, notes a passion for changing the world, he created a programthat extreme poverty worldwide is currently half of what it was in 1990.that has provided families and communities with life-sus-taining vegetable seed. In this time, more than 1 millionand girls. In some communities, the nearest seed store gardens have been planted over 200 sites throughout 75can be hundreds of miles away. Finding solutions to make countries worldwide. small farmers self-reliant is crucial.I learned from John that there are two ways to changeAid and development are working. Whereas most the world: boldly and thoughtfully sharing resources andpeople surveyed would say that poverty is increasing, and expertise globally is one way; quietly making life betterthere is an unfortunate perception that philanthropy is for everyone around you through human kindness andwasted, in fact the opposite is true, Marks says. Extreme connection is another way, Marks says. poverty worldwide is currently half of what it was in Under Marks leadership, SPI continues to form part- 1990. We dont take the credit for change like this, but nerships to respond to crises like 2019s Cyclone Idaiby providing access to the essential resource of vegetable in Africa, Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar toseed, local people are able to transform their own lives Bangladesh, and extended drought and displacement inand become part of this positive statistical shift.the Horn of Africa. Fate is a farmer who has forged a new livelihood Mentioned in his presentation was SPIs enhancedfrom the resources and education she accessed through focus on exit strategies from seed aid.GrowEastAfrica, an SPI partner in Ethiopia. Building There are at least 15 cases in the past three years ofupon her training, shes stepped into leadership with the SPI partners who were receiving SPI seed now accessingSoyama Womens Association.it from sources in their own region instead. SPI enjoysJust a few years ago, we were a community that was partnerships with a variety of organizations in the seedworried about what we would eat tomorrow and what industry, including the American Seed Trade Associationthe future looks like. Today, not only are we growing our and many of its member companies. own food, but were making plans for the future of our About 700 million people live on less than $2 perpeople and our community, she shares. We are creating day. On this budget, it can be impossible to sustain life.markets for ourselves, were inspiring and empowering Malnutrition in the developing world causes dire conse- each other, and were saving money and contributing to quences for nearly a billion people, 60% of them womenour own development.52GERMINATION.CAMARCH 2020'