E26: Dr. Alex McAlvey on Crop Mixtures and the Ancient Roots of Climate Resilience

E26: Dr. Alex McAlvey on Crop Mixtures and the Ancient Roots of Climate Resilience

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down — live at the New York Botanical Garden — with Dr. Alex McAlvey, Assistant Curator at the Garden's Center for Plants, People, and Culture. Alex draws on his background in cropping systems, wild crop relatives, and wild edible plants to explore crop mixtures: the ancient practice of growing multiple species or varieties together in a single field. The discussion dives into several key issues and tensions, including how mixtures act as an insurance policy against climate variability through complementarity and niche partitioning, why the practice has declined under pressures from global markets, mechanization, and government policy, and how it might be revived at scale — from France's wheat variety blends to school-meal programs in Kenya that reconnect diversified harvests to plates. Alex and Kat examine the deeper challenge of aligning our tastes with our health and our environment, and how culturally relevant food can drive that shift. * Read more about Alex's work [https://www.nybg.org/person/alex-c-mcalvay/] * Check out the Traditional Grain Mixtures Project at NYBG [https://www.nybg.org/science-project/the-traditional-grain-mixtures-project/]

E25: Andy Jarvis on Bezos Earth Fund's $1B Commitment to Food Systems Transformation

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with Dr. Andy Jarvis — Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. Andy reflects on over two decades of work at the intersection of food security and environmental sustainability, and how that experience has shaped his present work on agro-biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable protein. The discussion dives into several key issues and tensions, including reducing the food system's enormous emissions and land footprint, the complexity of meeting human nutritional needs and keeping food culturally relevant, and the role of philanthropy and strategic investment — including the Bezos Earth Fund's US$1B commitment to Food Systems Transformation — mobilized with the intention of spurring transformational change.  Andy closes by sharing what gives him hope: the brilliant entrepreneurs and scientists he encounters through his work, and — perhaps most powerfully — young people dedicated to changing the world. Learn more: * * Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein [https://www.bezosearthfund.org/] * * Stockholm Environment Institute - Planetary Boundaries Overview [https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html]

E24: Inside Bioversity International & CIAT – Marcela Quintero & Carlo Fada on Agrobiodiversity in Food Systems

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan records from Palmira, Colombia at the research campus of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT—one of the world’s leading hubs for agrobiodiversity, seed conservation, and food systems innovation. Kat is joined by Dr. Marcela Quintero (Associate Director General of Research and Strategy) and Dr. Carlo Fada (Director of Agrobiodiversity) to discuss how transforming global food systems is a story about connection— between seeds and soils, farmers and markets, biodiversity and diets. Together, they unpack what it really means to move from “gene to fork”, and why the often-overlooked “hidden middle”—markets, policy, and food environments—plays a decisive role in shaping diets and outcomes. The conversation explores: * Why agrobiodiversity works at many levels, including genetic, species, ecosystem, and cultural, and why each one is important for resilience * The paradox of underutilized crops like legumes, despite their potential for climate resilience, soil health, and nutrition * How participatory research and citizen science are shifting power toward farmers as decision-makers * What it takes to design food systems that benefit both people and the planet It also reminds us that transforming food systems is not about finding one solution. https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ Future Seeds: Protecting food for the world - CGSpace [https://cgspace.cgiar.org/items/6e6ed02b-48c1-4f35-8ebf-3694741bf8ca]

E23: Inside WorldVeg – Maarten van Zonneveld & Lukas Pawera on Securing Vegetable Diversity

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down in Tainan, Taiwan with Dr. Maarten van Zonneveld (Head of Genetic Resource) and Dr. Lucas Pawera (Agronomist/Agroecologist) from the World Vegetable Center to discuss the critical role of gene banks in conserving vegetable biodiversity, the importance of agroecology and soil health, and other challenges and opportunities in food systems. The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), previously known as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC), is an international, nonprofit institute for vegetable research and development. The conversation highlights the intersections of crop diversity, gene banks, and vegetable conservation, emphasizing the need for diverse crops to ensure culturally relevant nutrition security amid global challenges. Global seed and genebanks are designed to safeguard plant genetic diversity—preserving seeds and tissues for long-term food security, climate-resilient crop breeding, and protection against loss from conflict, disease, or extinction. Check out the research below to learn about the interviewee’s research and WorldVeg’s newest initiative, Vegetables4Life. Resources:  * https://avrdc.org/healthy-soils-for-healthy-cities/ * https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5810884 * https://avrdc.org/launching-vegetables4life/

E22: Jean-Claude Rubyogo on Transforming Lives Through Bean Research, Nutrition, and Seed Systems

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH speaks with Dr. Jean-Claude Rubyogo, Director of the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), to explore the powerful — and often underestimated — role beans play in shaping nutrition, livelihoods, and resilience across African food systems. Drawing on decades of experience in bean research and seed systems development, Jean-Claude reflects on the journey of building PABRA into a continent-wide alliance and why beans sit at the intersection of nutrition security, women’s empowerment, climate adaptation, and public health. He shares how value-chain innovations — from breeding and seed distribution to markets and school feeding programs — have helped beans move from a subsistence crop to a strategic development lever. The conversation dives into the science and art of breeding new bean varieties, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer preferences, cooking qualities, and nutritional needs — particularly the role of high-iron beans in school feeding programs. The episode closes with a reflection on beans as a tool for peace and community resilience. Learn more: -https://alliancebioversityciat.org/who-we-are/jean-claude-rubyogo [https://alliancebioversityciat.org/who-we-are/jean-claude-rubyogo] - https://www.pabra-africa.org/ [https://www.pabra-africa.org/] - https://cgspace.cgiar.org/items/5ba8c701-08ff-41bb-885b-96309e56767f