Seeds of Resistance: The Fight for Food Diversity on Our Climate-Ravaged Planet

Seeds of Resistance is a book by Mark Schapiro that explores the battle for food diversity on our climate-ravaged planet. It reveals the stories of seed survival strategies and why it matters that three multinational agri-chemical companies control half of all commercially traded seeds. The book also dives into the growing movement to defy these trends and assert autonomy over locally evolved seeds that are showing high levels of resilience to climate change.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Seeds of Resistance is a powerful wake-up call, illuminating the critical role of seeds in our fight for healthy food. Through vivid and memorable stories, investigative journalist Mark Schapiro takes us to the frontlines of the battle over the remaining seed varieties on Earth. By 2015, three-quarters of the seed varieties from 1900 had been driven to extinction, highlighting the urgent need for action. In his book Seeds of Resistance: The Fight for Food Diversity on Our Climate-Ravaged Planet, Schapiro delves deep into the struggle over the seeds that remain, exposing the complex dynamics between agri-chemical companies and the long-term security of our food supply.

His investigation uncovers the strategies employed by seed survivors and the significance of the control these multinational companies hold over the majority of commercially traded seeds. These companies produce chemical-dependent, uniform seeds, which are ill-suited to the changing conditions brought about by climate change. Schapiro's exploration goes beyond this, examining the growing movement to assert autonomy over locally evolved seeds, which exhibit high resilience to climate change impacts.

He delves into the implications of patented seeds and the companies that have turned them into one of the world's most valuable commodities. He raises concerns about the chemicals required for these seeds to survive, emphasizing the environmental and health risks associated with their widespread use.

Schapiro, a lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, brings his investigative and storytelling skills to this compelling narrative. He takes readers on a journey from the environmentally stressed fields of the American Midwest and California's Central Valley to unexpected centers of climate-resilient seed diversity in the Himalayas and the Andes. Seeds of Resistance serves as a call to action, urging individuals, communities, and policymakers to recognize the importance of seed diversity and take steps to protect and promote it. It is a reminder that our food system is interconnected with the health of our planet, and that the choices we make today will have profound consequences for generations to come.

Weight: 232g
Dimension: 227 x 152 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781510772540