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://www.pabra-africa.org/

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Dr. Cary Fowler—the 2024 World Food Prize Laureate, former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, and widely known as the architect of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Recorded during his tenure launching the Food Security Leadership Council, this conversation explores why crop diversity, soil health, and long-term agricultural R&D are among the most urgent and underestimated global security challenges of our time. Dr. Fowler reflects on growing up in the Southeastern United States, the civil rights movement, and how those experiences shaped a career dedicated to protecting the foundations of our food system.

The discussion also dives into the rising threats of climate change, soil degradation, and water scarcity; the need to prioritize nutrition security over calorie security; and why elevating indigenous crops—often grown by women—can transform both livelihoods and resilience.

Dr. Fowler closes with what gives him hope: young people, growing scientific capacity around the world, and a renewed return to the fundamentals that make agriculture work.

• https://www.caryfowler.com/
• https://www.foodsecurityleadership.org/

This episode of Oh Crop! features a conversation between host Kat Morgan and Dr. Stefan Schmitz, who is the Executive Director of the Crop Trust. Recorded during New York Climate Week 2025, the discussion centers on the imperative role of crop diversity in securing the future of our food system, connecting the historical globalization of food, where major crops originated far from where they are now grown, to the present-day risks of over-relying on a narrow selection of staple crops.

Dr. Schmitz champions agrobiodiversity and the shift toward using neglected crops as a strategic solution to build resilience against climate change, address nutritional deficiencies, and ensure healthier diets. He makes a compelling, concise case for global financial commitment to conservation, noting that a one-time investment to secure all global crop diversity is a mere fraction of the funds currently misdirected through agricultural subsidies. Ultimately, the conversation offers hope, looking to advances in life and data science to unlock the full potential of conserved genetic resources to future-proof our food supply.

Read about the Crop Trust Here