b'Below: Indigenous Mayan womens cooperative in Guatemala, producing organic vegetable seedlings to sell in their communities.Gardens of OpportunityDid you know women produce over 50% of the worlds food supply? Its an impressive statistic, and yet, women continue to face systemic barriers that stifle their potential. SPI recognizes the pivotal role women play in agriculture, particularly in developing nations, where they shoulder the responsibilities of farming and post-harvest activities. By working with womens groups, we aim to improve theirWe envision a world where access to agricultural resources, paving their way to empower- communities can rely on themselves for ment and food security, Beasley says. When women thrive, communities flourish. healthy food, where women and youth Thriving communities are at the core of SPIs mandate, but climate change, conflict, and poverty continue to threaten foodare empowered, and where resilience is security. With a staggering 100 million people misplaced across the globe, SPI is proactive in integrating vegetable-growing programsbuilt into every garden.into disaster recovery efforts, fostering stability amid chaos. Georgia Beasley"While shelter and food aid are essential in crises, medium-term recovery plans that include sustainable food production are equally critical," Beasley says.A Global Network of CollaborationSPIs impact reaches far and wide from East Africa to South America, and even in Ukraine. The organization is on the front-lines, diversifying crop production to include essential vegeta-blesand their efforts are making a difference. JUNE 2025SEEDWORLD.COM /49'