Content Library Articles Our Stolen Seeds: Ending the Grip of the Seed Monopoly

Our Stolen Seeds: Ending the Grip of the Seed Monopoly

May 24, 2019

It’s time we took a whole-farm approach to agriculture.

That means we can’t support food policy that subsidizes thousands of acres of corn, soy, and wheat that are turned into processed junk food; we can’t continually buy just one staple crop from the farmers’ market that took five other crops to successfully produce and think we are helping the environment; and we can’t separate flavor and cooking from how we farm.

The good news is that we can grow incredible tasting food that also benefits the farmer and makes real, healthy food more accessible to the masses. Dan Barber is leading that movement, and this week he joined me on The Doctor’s Farmacy to talk about how seeds are the blueprint for better food, better soil, and a better food system.

Dan is all about a hedonistic approach to changing the way we grow food. He feels that by putting flavor first, we don’t have to give up anything—but we gain everything.

Dan co-founded Row 7 Seed Company, a seed company bringing together chefs and plant breeders in the development of new varieties of vegetables and grains. He realized that by cultivating plants that cater to our tastes and teaming up with growers who are passionate about regenerative agriculture, we can begin to shift the food system in exciting and positive new directions.

You might be surprised to learn that there is a major monopoly when it comes to seeds. Globally, 68% of seeds are in the hands of just three companies. That’s the future of our food, being held by Big Agriculture. This undermines the success of farmers and food producers all over the world, and it’s something Dan is working hard to change.

Throughout our talk, he shares why seeds are the foundation for a new food system and why making food taste great opens the doorway for healthier people and a healthier planet.

We talk about all this and more on this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy. Be sure to tune in.