From the community ‘seed guardians’ who are helping to protect the richness and diversity of our food, to the young people succeeding despite lockdown’s challenges, the latest issue of Positive News magazine looks to the future, explains editor-in-chief Lucy Purdy
As the soil warms, buds appear on trees, and plants burst into leaf, the air feels charged with possibility. More and more people will have their hands in the earth this spring, growing their own food. But not all seeds are created equal. In the cover story of the new April-June issue of Positive News magazine, we meet the passionate ‘seed guardians’ who lovingly grow, save and share seeds.
The varieties they safeguard are locally adapted, plentiful and rich with unusual characteristics and fascinating histories. And they’re open-pollinated, meaning they quietly challenge a genetically modified industrial monoculture.
To secure the future of nourishing food for all, we need to understand where food truly begins. And the communities across the UK that are banking their seeds are local treasure troves of knowledge, which are ready to support new and experienced growers alike.
Planting seeds is an act of hope. And this latest issue of Positive News is packed with stories of hope, at a time when communities are tentatively starting to look forward again.
There are the young people who share their stories of success in the face of lockdown challenges: the bravery of one in particular brought a tear to my eye when I read it. I also love the photo essay about refugees in Mauritania who have united in challenging desert circumstances – makeshift instruments and all – over a love of music.
The latest Positive News magazine is packed with stories of hope, at a time when communities are tentatively starting to look forward again
We track efforts to make wood the go-to material in construction; how brands are innovating to make jewellery more sustainable; and why more businesses are increasingly opting to give away some of their income. Looking seriously far forward, we explore how to be a better ancestor.
Whether you’re reflecting on the difficult year that has just been, managing to look ahead, or a bit of both, I hope the issue gives a flavour of how people, communities and organisations are preparing for a more positive future. Seeds of hope indeed.
