By Mark Schapiro - Many of you know that I’ve spent the last several years reporting and writing a book on the fight over control of the world’s seeds--the ground-zero ingredient of our food. I’ve appreciated many of your kind comments since it was published.

I’ve been struck at times over these several months that when I mention the book--Seeds of Resistance: The Fight for Our Food Supply—people’s response is often something along the lines of, “Oh, it’s about Monsanto, right?” And yes, I investigated Monsanto. and how the agri-chemical companies are trying to monopolize the global seed trade. But I’ve resisted letting any chemical company monopolize the seed story the way they’ve attempted to monopolize the seed industry.

Seeds are small miracles, tiny bundles of kinetic energy: Add sunshine, water and minerals and, voila, up comes a plant, hopefully one we can eat. It’s a process as old as Earth itself. But climate volatility is altering all three of those elements, making our food future perilously uncertain.  From war-torn Syria to the deserts of the American southwest, I embark on a search for the seeds that can withstand those changes. I tell the tales of people defying the odds to protect them from war and climate upheavals and from the attempts of private companies to claim this precious public resource as their own.

If you’re thinking, ‘What does this have to do with me?’, then consider: Everything you eat is just one short hop from the seed to your table. And between the field and the table are vitally important decisions about how your food is grown, who owns it, and the nourishment it contains.

I hope you’ve already stumbled upon Seeds of Resistance in your favorite bookstore; in case you haven’t, please ask them to order it. Or, of course, you can always find it here. It’s short, which is why it’s called a ‘Hotbook’.

I’m glad to announce that I’m also launching a website where I intend to keep reporting on the battles over seeds and the implications for our health and our stressed planet, and on the expanding ranks of ‘seed rebels’ working toward a more secure and resilient food system. I’ll also be linking to relevant work by others in this arena. My opening blog probes into the back-story behind the new GMO “labels” slipped into place by the Trump Administration five days before Christmas. Did you know about those? No? You wouldn’t be alone.

It’s here: www.seedsofresistance.net.