ONLINE: Seedlinked and the Future of Agriculture

media release: StartingBlock presents this webinar:

More sustainable and healthy food systems starts with seeds. Through volunteer trials of various cultivars of tomato seed or carrot seed, lettuce or eggplant, researchers can determine the best environments for seeds without the need for fertilizer or toxins...simply using data to create better food/agricultural security.

Join us to learn about SeedLinked, an emerging collaborative data sharing platform that connects people and data to help characterize, breed, source, and harvest the best. Democratizing data driven decision around seed because a more sustainable and healthy food system starts with seed.

Dr Julie Dawson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with extensive experience in participatory and organic plant breeding. She leads the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative in Wisconsin, which tests vegetable varieties suited to organic and diversified agricultural systems for superior flavor, market characteristics, and agronomic performance. Her research includes developing better methodologies for participatory plant breeding, vegetable variety trialing, flavor evaluation and using genetic resources in plant breeding.

Nicolas Enjalbert (PhD), CEO and Co-Founder of SeedLinked. Coming from France, Nicolas brings a broad vision and passion for what is possible in the seed industry from his years of private sector plant breeding in seed companies in Europe and the United States. He has a master’s degree in agronomy from EI Purpan France and a PhD from Colorado State University in plant breeding. His expertise in data architecture, crop modeling, fundamental breeding techniques and participatory breeding strategies coupled with management and plant breeding program development find full expression in his continuing work and development of SeedLinked. “I am inspired by the passion, depth, and engagement exhibited by the people driving this emerging seed movement. When ethics and actions align there is a generated energy that is empowering in ways that push me to do what I might otherwise see as impossible.”

Nico will present the overall concept and mission of SeedLinked, a social enterprise platform (B corp). Seedlinked is founded upon the core values of collaboration, transparency, decentralization, and open access.It combines the power of citizen science with accessible smartphone technology and data analytics to create a tool anyone can use to breed, source, and harvest the best seeds for a more successful growing season, and a more resilient food future.