A Trio of Comments: OFRF Chimes in on USDA Actions

Dr. Walter Goldstein

Written by Dr. Walter Goldstein

I recently had the opportunity to join Vinnie Trometter, Policy Fellow at the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and staff from Congressman Bryan Steil (R–WI–01)’s office to discuss how several organic agricultural research programs help the Mandaamin Institute research revolutionary, nutritious, nitrogen-fixing organic corn varieties.

Breeding Corn for a Food-Secure Future

I founded the Mandaamin Institute back in 2011 to study how to breed corn that does not require fertilizers and is more nutritious and sustainable than the corn hybrids controlled by large multinational corporations. Our goal is to change the paradigm of corn production by showing that you can breed organic corn varieties that have similar yields to conventional corn and are competitive against weeds without the need to use synthetic fertilizers or herbicides. Our research shows that this is possible.

Our corn plants have been selected to partner with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae. Their tissues are strongly colonized with bacteria in the roots, epidermis, plant hairs, vascular tissues, silks, pollen, glumes, and embryos. Bacteria are passed from one generation to the next through the seed, and those bacteria actively colonize the plant and are extruded into the root zone through the root tip and root hairs.

Through this, we have found that not only does root branching and root health improve, but nitrogen uptake increases substantially. This is because soil bacteria are taken up by the plant through the growing root system and then multiplied and consumed inside the plant as a result of the active oxidants produced by the plant. The dialogue with bacteria increases vitality and nutrient uptake and causes priming of the plant for stress and disease resistance. We have evidence that the defense systems in the root are dialed down to foster bacteria, but they are dialed up in the tops, which accumulate microbial nitrogen. Furthermore, we have isotopic evidence that some of our varieties are fixing substantial quantities of nitrogen from the air.

Some of our inbred varieties and hybrids also compete better with weeds and are less strongly affected by them than conventional varieties. Furthermore, yields under fertilized conditions have been about 10% less, but are generally higher than for conventional inbred corn under unfertilized conditions.

We have also found that our plants have higher nutritional value (more methionine, lysine, minerals, and carotenoids) than conventional corn. This translates to better quality poultry feed. Unlike traditional poultry feed, which is generally composed of a mixture of corn and soybeans, Mandaamin corn varieties are naturally high in protein and contain generated amino acids, usually supplemented in soybean-mixed poultry feeds. The enhanced value of the feed means 9% less soybean meal and no synthetic methionine is required. This allows poultry feeders to pay a 10% premium for the grain without increasing their overall feed costs, resulting in higher prices for egg producers.

Funding for Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Research

The Mandaamin Institute is working with dozens of organic farms and conventional farms, or in conditions that do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and are also limited in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The farms we partner with are in several states, but mostly in Wisconsin. Mandaamin Institute also does not patent the corn they give out to farmers, so they can partake in experiments themselves. For analysis, we work intensively with Rutgers University using the latest “omics” technology.

We use Organic Agriculture Research Extension Program (OREI) and Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) grants to fund our research. Using both programs allows us to experiment on both organic and non-organic land since OREI can only be used on organic acreage, while SARE usage does not have this restriction. Experimenting on both types of land is important because we can test our seeds across a range of soil conditions. 

Our Meeting with Congress

Our meeting with Congressman Bryan Steil’s office went well. We met with one of his staffers who was well-informed and engaged on agriculture issues. He was sympathetic to our call, expressing the importance of organic agriculture research programs. It is important for organic agriculture researchers to directly communicate with their members of Congress about their work and how it impacts their districts, states, and regions. Those members of Congress can then carry on the message of researchers up to the USDA or the Agriculture Committee, where agricultural policy decisions are made.

Use Your Voice

Interested in sharing your research with legislators and highlighting the importance of ongoing public investment in organic research? Enroll in OFRF’s self-paced email course, Communicating with Legislators. This free workshop gives researchers and advocates in the organic farming community the tools to confidently connect with lawmakers and make your work count where decisions are made.

The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI)’s mission is to enhance the health and wellness of tribal communities by advancing healthy food systems, diversified economic development, and cultural food traditions. They focus on putting tribal sovereignty in food sovereignty, promoting tribally driven solutions to revitalize and advance traditional food systems and diversified economic development throughout Indian Country. Recently, OFRF met with their Senior Staff Attorney, Kelli Case J.D. (Chickasaw Nation), to learn more about IFAI’s work and the intersection with organic agriculture. This was the first in a series of “Lunch and Learn” events that OFRF has begun hosting, to provide opportunities to build stronger connections between our organization and others working in the food and agriculture sectors.

During our time together, Kelli shared an overview of IFAI’s work providing policy expertise, youth programs, and support for tribal food and agriculture efforts across Indian Country. She also took the time to shed light on the complex history of federal Indian policy and the significant impact it has had on tribal land access and food systems. Here are our key takeaways from meeting with IFAI.

Working in Indian Country

There are 574 federally recognized tribes across the U.S., with 9.6 million American Indian or Alaska Natives reported in the 2020 Census. These tribes are distinct, independent nations within the United States, each with their own distinct systems of governance that interact with the U.S. federal government. Tribal leaders are the highest political authorities within their sovereign governments and oversee all aspects of Tribal welfare, including public safety, education, communications, transportation, health & human services, economic development, and more.

Within Indian Country, there is a robust and growing agricultural industry, with an estimated $6.1 billion market value of tribal agriculture according. This number is based on sales as gathered from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. It is the total market value of products sold per all AI/AN people, and those who claim AI/AN within a mixed-race demographic.

IFAI provides Tribal governments, producers, and food businesses with educational resources, policy research, and strategic legal analysis at no cost. Their self-proclaimed goal is to be “Indian Country’s ag nerds on call.” Their work includes food and ag issues, youth programs, policy analysis, and tribal enterprise development, all as a foundation for building robust food economies.

History of Federal Indian Policy

Indigenous food sovereignty exists in the context of centuries of federal Indian Policy, which includes things like forced relocation, or removal of youth from their communities to boarding schools, displacing people from their traditional homelands, interrupting intergenerational knowledge transfer, and punishing traditional cultural practices.

Kelli outlined the policy eras in this way:

• Pre-contact: an era of robust trade, flourishing communities, healthy lands, plentiful food, and traditional lifeways before European settlers arrived.
• Colonialism, 1492-1700s: an era defined by major waves of change and the start of land loss for Native Tribes.
• Treaties, 1778-1871: an era of treaty establishment aimed at easing tension between Tribes and settlers, supporting non-Native settlers, reducing Native lands, and forcing Native Americans to adopt Western agricultural practices. Treaties often dictated hunting and fishing rights on Tribal lands.
• Removal, 1830-1850s: continued removal of tribes from their traditional homelands and relocated, often very forcibly, such as the Long Walk or the Trail of Tears. Many of these relocations meant a shift to an unfamiliar ecosystem with unfamiliar food plants and animals.
• Reservation, 1850-1891: tribes forced onto reservation lands, further limiting land and food access.
• Allotment and Assimilation, 1887-1934: an era during which reservation land was further parceled out into individual allotments, fragmenting the traditional practices of collective land management and implementing further use restrictions. Also the beginning of boarding schools and the removal of a generation of youth from their community, culture, and language.
• Reorganization, 1934-1953: an era that encouraged Tribes to implement Tribal constitutions in order to be recognized by the U.S. government, while still preventing them from electing their own Tribal leaders.
• Termination, 1953-1968: a time when the U.S. federal government attempted to sever the trust relationship between Tribal governments and the U.S. government, and ceased recognizing some Tribes. Also relocated many working-age Native Americans to urban metropolitan areas.
• Self-Determination, 1968-1994: Largely influenced by the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (PL 638). Included reaffirmation of Tribal sovereignty and began to look for ways to put Tribes in the driver’s seat for things that impact their communities.
• Self-Government, 1994-Current: This era began with the Self-Governance Act of 1994, which accorded tribal governments the authority to administer programs and services to their tribal members which had previously been administered by the BIA. Also reinforced the principle of tribal consultation, whereby the federal government consults with tribes on federal actions, policies, rules, or regulations that will directly affect them.

Food Sovereignty & Tribal Sovereignty

Sovereignty refers to the inherent rights of Tribes to govern themselves, independent from an external power. For Tribes, the pursuit of true sovereignty is deeply linked to control over their food sources. As Kelli said, “Tribes cannot be truly sovereign unless they can feed themselves.”

However, Kelli also noted that it’s not a one-size-fits-all model, and that food sovereignty will look different for different groups, saying that it comes down to the ability to “feed your own people the things that you want to, in a way you feel good about.” She noted that while that often includes taking back control of food production, it can also include trade with other nations, a practice that has a long history among Tribes.

The current era includes a renaissance in tribal food sovereignty efforts, with growing agricultural production and traditional food revitalization. Although challenges remain around land access, Tribes are working to expand Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and integrate it into food production and education systems. And years of efforts from tribal advocates have greatly improved federal nutrition programs across Indian Country.

One recent example that Kelli shared was a tribal rancher who is now selling meat directly into the tribe’s food distribution program. This one connection has created jobs, supported the local economy, and connected that producer to their community in a new and meaningful way.

Collaboration Opportunities

Kelli expressed that opportunities exist for collaboration between organic agriculture advocates, such as OFRF, and tribal producers, as long as careful cultural sensitivity is observed.

Many tribal farming practices and TEK align with organic principles, even if producers are not certified organic. For those interested in collaborating with Tribes on food production and food sovereignty issues, Kelli offered this advice:

• Familiarize yourself with the history of the Tribes in your region.
• Learn about Tribal priorities, and focus on listening to the needs of the Tribes.
• One way to begin connecting with Tribes in your area is to attend public events hosted by the Tribes. These can often be found on Tribal websites.
  • Be aware that not all spaces are open to non-Native attendees. Respect the intentions of event organizers and don’t show up where you’re not invited.
• Look for alignment between your work and how it can support Tribal priorities.

Next Steps

Don’t know who the Tribes of record in your area are yet? Here are two resources to use to look up the land that you’re on and find out more about its Tribal history.

• The Native Connect: Maps of Native North American Tribes
• Native Land Map

Once you’ve identified whose land you’re on, see if you can find where the closest Tribal office is to you,  and then look to see if they have any upcoming public events, or other ways you can get involved, such as joining their newsletter mailing list.