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.

Future Seeds: Protecting food for the world – CGSpace