People are genetically intertwined.
But ancestry — the type of genetics we think of when we consider our ethnicity, heritage, or health — is only one of the ways genetics shapes community. Another, perhaps less obvious link, is that between the genetics of agriculture and community.
How do the genetics of our fruits and vegetables have such a profound effect on us?
the genetics of food systems
As it turns out, maintaining genetic diversity in our crops is integral to developing healthy food systems. Genetic diversity can be achieved at the inter-species level (growing native plants vs. genetically modified or hybrid versions of those plants that have certain traits optimized, usually to maximize yield and profit).
genetically diverse
Plants are constantly evolving and adapting to their native environments. Crops that are genetically diverse (unlike many agricultural cash crops) are much more resilient to sudden environmental changes, including climate-related disasters (droughts, pests, and infectious diseases).
- A genetically diverse crop experiencing drought might contain some plants that are more drought-resistant, resulting in the proliferation of resilient plants instead of total crop destruction.
- A new fungal infection might rip through a crop of maize that shares the same genetic ability to fight this parasite. But a genetically diverse crop would have some plants that are genetically better at dealing with the new infection. Farmers could save seed from those plants to grow a new crop of fungus-resistant super-plants.
Indigenous contributions to the genetics of agriculture
saving seed:
Preserving seed between crop generations ensures that the best genetic traits of previous crops are brought forward, resulting in genetically diverse, higher yield crops that are more resilient to their environment. Seed preservation is integral to the birth of agriculture as well as cultural practices shaped around harvest cycles. We can recognize Indigenous contributions to agriculture through seed preservation techniques, while also understanding how passing down seed is an act of community.
Read “Autumn Native Plant Foods and Medicines” by Jess
- seed banks: “genetic libraries” for generations of crops with different traits
- interplanting: Planting multiple species of plants within the same plot of land is known as interplanting, a strategy where each plant supports the other’s growth. For instance, the “Three Sisters” (Fig. 1) method of interplanting is an Indigenous strategy, attributed to multiple Indigenous groups across North and Central America, that involves planting corn, beans, and squash together. The beans fertilize the soil for the corn and squash through a process called nitrogen fixing in their roots, while the corn provides a structure for the beans to grow.
Read “The Three Sisters: Fragmentary Pasts and Integrated Futures” by Sachin
food sovereignty
Tied into all these ideas is the concept of food sovereignty: the idea that people should have access to healthy, culturally appropriate food; that they should have control over how and where they get this food; that they can do so reliably and through ecologically sustainable methods.
- When we utilize Indigenous farming strategies and grow local crops by saving seed each year, we prioritize resilience and adaptability through maintaining genetic diversity in our food systems. This is a strategy communities can use to feed themselves, controlling their access to food in place of corporations and market institutions.
- Free the people from Big Cereal!
Read “Love and Breadfruit” by Jordan
the threat of monoculture
Modern agricultural practices are designed to ensure maximal profits for corporations. That is, they optimize crop yield and minimize management effort, but at the cost of genetic and species diversity.
- Many industrial farmers grow massive quantities of only one type of crop, a deviation from traditional farming methods across the world that promote biodiversity and soil health by growing multiple crops together. This makes managing the one crop easier — no need for farmers to manage crop varieties or deal with complex planting schedules. However, it depletes the soil of resources and requires high pesticide use, since the lack of diversity makes these plants susceptible to pests and diseases.
- Many industrial crops are genetically modified to optimize certain traits that maximize profit. For example, Big Strawberry popularized giant but watery-tasting berries that are much unlike their smaller, more flavourful ancestors. When grown in monocultures, this adds a second layer to the monoculture: genetic diversity is lost at both the inter- and intra-species level.
genetic erosion
Read “A Curious Case of Biological Paradox” by Kiersten
Because of monoculture farming and genetically optimized crops, many agricultural species face genetic erosion: the loss of genetically diverse, regionally adapted varieties that grow optimally in their local environments.
genetic diversity = global food security
“Food security” in a community refers to how easily people can access safe, nutritious food. Industrial farming practices and a lack of access to land have stripped many Indigenous and local communities of their ability to grow their own food.
Thinking about which crops are grown where is important, as plants that are (genetically) adapted to their native environment flourish under those conditions. The loss of Indigenous and traditional crops due to colonialism and industrialized farming practices (i.e. prioritizing monoculture cash crops of big-ticket foods like wheat or maize) has led to vastly changing diets for Indigenous populations around the world. Encouraging the cultivation of Indigenous crops in their local environments by locals results in communities that can sustain themselves with nutritious, traditional foods that are adapted to growing in these environments.
For example, South Africa has a vast diversity of fruits, vegetables, and legumes that grow locally, yet many people face food insecurity. These traditional foods are reportedly less popular and less accessible due to lost knowledge of traditional farming practices, the shift to industrialized farming, and little access to land for planting. A proposed solution has been increasing education and promoting growing these traditional crops in local communities.
Read Mgwenya et al. 2025: “Benefits of Indigenous Crops for Food Security… in Southern Africa”
Check out the slow food network to see how people are bringing traditional farming practices back at the community level.
Read “Unseen Efforts & Bearing Fruit” by Sami
genetic diversity = biodiversity = dietary diversity
Prioritizing genetic diversity in agriculture is one branch of a much grander philosophy. Agroecology integrates all these ideas — genetic and biodiversity, food security, climate change resilience, and community engagement — taking a holistic approach to understanding and developing sustainable food systems. It represents the collective struggle against an industry that limits our access to healthy food. It represents the community garden, where we remain connected to our environment as well as each other.
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