But over the years, more frequent and intense rains鈥攍inked to 鈥攃ame earlier in the year, disrupting the harvest.

鈥淏efore, it rained in March, and we would sow seeds when it happened, but these days the rains can begin in February, and there can be a lot of ice and colder conditions,鈥� said Tomas, 42. 鈥淲e would have to work so hard, but receive little.鈥�

Indigenous communities around the world are losing the crops their forebears had bred over centuries to a changing climate, deforestation, and industrial farming.

Three-quarters of has been lost over the last century, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, with only 30 plants fueling 95% of the calories that all humans consume globally. Such a homogenized food system raises the risk of , , , and the .

Though it鈥檚 difficult to gauge exactly how much the biodiversity crisis is costing farmers, suggests smallholder farmers are spending $368 billion of their own income every year on measures to adapt to climate change, which include pest control, soil improvements, and biodiversity conservation.

Increasingly, farmers like Tomas are turning to seed banks.

These modest, community-run storage hubs鈥攖ypically located within walking distance of the fields鈥攑reserve Indigenous, climate-resilient seeds adept at dealing with harsh conditions, while also providing farmers like Tomas with a free, direct supply of seeds. In turn, proponents say seed banks can help to protect biodiversity.  A by the company Terraformation found more than 400 seed banks operating in 96 countries worldwide.

鈥淭here are so many uses of the seed banks,鈥� says , senior technical manager of , a Guatemalan nonprofit that works with 16,000 farmers in the Huehuetenango region where Tomas lives. 鈥淭hey protect biodiversity. They protect incomes. If there鈥檚 a disaster or emergency, they are there as a kind of insurance for farmers.鈥�

ASOCUCH launched its seed bank program in 2007, and Tomas joined in 2010. It has provided him with long-term, protective storage for his native seeds, meaning he no longer has to pay for them at the market, and crucially, a kind of insurance for when extreme weather strikes. has also found that cultivating these native seeds in banks has tripled farmers鈥� yields. 鈥淭hey increase food availability for families and create income from the sale of surpluses,鈥� said Alonzo.

Tomas鈥� local branch of the seed bank, run by a committee of local farmers of which he is a member, has seen his community through crop-destroying frosts, floods, heatwaves, and a severe seed shortage in 2018. 

鈥淲ithout the seed banks, it would have been disastrous,鈥� Tomas said. 鈥淵ou save a lot of money not having to buy seeds, too.鈥�

Each storage hub holds hundreds of containers of seeds, divided into sections for each farmer. Seeds shown to be resistant to harsh weather are prioritized. Some farmers visit the bank every month, while others just use it in case of emergencies. 

When Tomas first joined the bank, he was one of only six participating farmers in the community鈥攏ow there are more than 40 of them.

鈥淭hey saw the need,鈥� he says. 鈥淢any farmers now see the importance of the banks.鈥�

Agricultural experts say that supporting the use of traditional seeds, also known as heirloom varieties, could minimize the likelihood of food shortages, improve diets amid , and bolster the resilience of rural farming communities.

鈥淔armers have long been conserving seeds鈥攁nd the banks support them to do this,鈥� said , a genetic resources specialist at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, a nonprofit. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important because we are losing crop diversity everywhere. We have to take action to protect seeds.鈥�

The emergence of modern seed banks follows in the path of the ancient , which is becoming increasingly important for areas relying on subsistence farming as they are .

鈥淏efore, the focus was on national seed banks,鈥� says Vernooy. 鈥淭hey would put seeds in a freezer and store them for as long as possible. But that has its limits. And that鈥檚 very far away from the farmers.鈥�

Instead, community seed banks provide a living use of seeds, at once supporting farmers and their families, helping to secure the future of native and climate-resilient seeds, as well as encouraging social cohesion, equality, and knowledge exchange among farmers.

鈥淭hey become more than a physical area, they increase interchange, sharing of seeds,鈥� said Vernooy.

A 2023 study co-authored by Vernooy focusing on found that 2,630 smallholder farmers protected 72 鈥渦nique鈥� crop and tree species, serving as a platform for community action and women鈥檚 empowerment. 鈥淲omen have always played a key role in seed saving and management,鈥� he says. 

Similar projects are sprouting up across Central America, home to who are knowledgeable about seed keeping, yet also . Many of these communities suffer . 

In Nicaragua, a is working with more than 7,000 farmers to identify native breeds of maize, grains, beans, and other legumes and develop new drought-resistant varieties. Mexico鈥檚 national , a state-led initiative, works directly with community seed banks and international partners to conserve about 12-13% of the country鈥檚 23,000 plant species. 

In the United States, volunteers to regrow native plants in areas of Southern California devastated by January鈥檚 wildfires. Seed Savers Exchange, based in Iowa, is one of the nation鈥檚 seed banks, holding some 20,000 species. 

But in order to live up to their potential, which could allow farmers to through sales, advocates say the seed banks need more support from national governments. 鈥淪upport is improving, but it remains lacking,鈥� Vernooy said.

Alonzo of ASOCUCH agreed that institutional backing would make it easier for farmers to develop and independently maintain their own seed banks while recognizing their crucial role in protecting biodiversity. 鈥淓ven if the banks are working, climate change still presents challenges,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f we want to safeguard the needs, we need to recognize the value of these smallholder producers.鈥�

This article appeared in Nexus Media News, an editorially independent publication of .

The good news is that climate justice movement organizers nationwide were prepared for the threats of Trump鈥檚 second term and are fighting against his administration鈥檚 regressive political agenda and for a greener future.

鈥淲e are already seeing our communities on the front lines being responsive [to Trump鈥檚 attacks],鈥� says KD Chavez, executive director of (CJA). 鈥淭hey are continuing to provide mutual support, they鈥檙e continuing to organize, they鈥檙e resisting, and they鈥檙e creating regenerative climate solutions that are replicable.鈥�

鈥淲hen we say front line, we mean the people that are dealing with climate injustice day to day,鈥� explains Chavez. 鈥淚t鈥檚 folks in communities that have been intentionally marginalized and disinvested from for decades, and they鈥檝e been having to come up with inventive solutions with, sometimes, shoestring budgets.鈥澛�

Chavez points to the (GASP) as one example of a front-line community tackling environmental injustice. That nonprofit organization has succeeded in in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama, and is now working with the City of Birmingham to create a with climate justice principles at its core.听

鈥淲hen we aggregate those solutions, a just transition and a future that includes ecological liberation and liberation for the people and land doesn鈥檛 seem too far away because we have tangible examples of it happening all over.鈥�

More than work under CJA鈥檚 umbrella, each furthering climate justice aims in their communities. Trump鈥檚 rapid-fire rollbacks have already impacted the work of many of CJA鈥檚 members and other groups like them. 

Some of the most significant disruptions to climate progress nationwide come from the administration鈥檚 , enacted on Jan. 27, 2025, and attacks on the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes provisions to help fight climate change, promote environmental justice, and transition the United States to . Among Trump鈥檚 many Inauguration Day executive orders is one aimed at , including terminating the office established to oversee the IRA鈥檚 implementation and halting disbursements of allocated funds. The same executive order also demanded a pause on all 鈥淕reen New Deal鈥� funding.听

Of $50 billion in grants awarded under the IRA, $32 billion had not yet been disbursed when President Joe Biden left office in early 2025 and is at risk of being clawed back, according to . The EPA is meant to be responsible for disbursing about $20 billion of the unspent funds. On Feb. 12, 2025, the EPA鈥檚 new administrator, that the agency would rescind those contracts and the funds.

Even before that announcement, the agency informed some grant recipients their until further notice. The federal funding freeze also disrupted at least to thousands of state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, according to Inside Climate News. 

The effects of these funding disruptions are already being felt. Tens of thousands of nationwide are now threatened or canceled, many of which were meant to benefit underserved communities and those on the front lines of the climate crisis. CJA was among the groups that lost some EPA funding following Zeldin鈥檚 announcement.

That funding was part of the EPA鈥檚 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grantmaking program, which would have allowed CJA to seed community-based organizations advancing environmental justice in the western U.S. Chavez called the program鈥檚 cancellation one of the White House鈥檚 鈥渁ttacks on working class communities鈥� in a Feb. 13 .

Funding disruptions have also hit individuals and families as federally funded programs that help families save money on energy costs鈥攕uch as and 鈥攁re now in limbo.听

Meech Carter, clean energy campaigns director at the , helps state residents access funding through programs like these. She says her organization has received little guidance on which programs will continue when the federal funding freeze is lifted. 鈥淲hen I talk to residents now, I have to tell them, 鈥楾his is a very changing landscape, we appreciate your patience, and we are trying our best to get you the assistance that you need.鈥欌��

She adds, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want people to have unreasonable expectations, and we know there鈥檚 a possibility that these programs will be impacted.鈥�

A group of nonprofit organizations and Democratic attorneys general in 22 states and Washington, D.C. have already challenged the Trump administration鈥檚 federal funding freeze in court. Two federal courts in early February 2025 to stop the freeze. On Feb. 25, 2025, a federal judge in one of these cases agreed to grant the plaintiffs鈥� request for while the case moves through the court. However, grantees have continued to report they awarded for climate projects. 

Meanwhile, environmental law organizations are gearing up to . It鈥檚 too soon to know how those legal fights will play out and whether the Trump administration will heed court decisions. But the litigation itself serves an important purpose. 鈥淭he way that we鈥檙e thinking about it right now is 鈥楬ow do you grind down and bog down the administration?鈥欌�� says Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, executive director of the . 鈥淭hey are pretending that there are no laws binding them, but in fact, these laws exist, and we will check them on that through federal court litigation.鈥�

While litigation on the federal level focuses on halting rollbacks and protecting vital programs, organizers say on the state and local levels, the climate movement is still looking to gain ground. 鈥淟ocal and state action is going to be really important over these next four years, and there are some really big opportunities there,鈥� says Carter. 

One of those opportunities could be broadening the climate movement in the U.S. by rallying Republican politicians and constituencies behind IRA programs. Although no Republican backed the IRA during the Biden administration, Republican-held areas have benefited most from the legislation since its enactment. Nearly , representing 85% of investments and 68% of jobs, are in Republican congressional districts.

Carter sees the effects of disruptions on North Carolinians, where just over half of voters in the 2024 presidential election. Many in the state were counting on energy assistance, tax rebates, or new employment opportunities on infrastructure or clean energy projects鈥攖he futures of which are now uncertain. 

If Republican lawmakers want to remain in office in North Carolina and other Republican-held areas, they may need to bend to constituents who do not want to see cost-saving programs stripped away. 鈥淭his is a big opportunity to leverage those connections and mobilize representatives to push back,鈥� says Carter. 鈥淚f that funding is taken away, that has a real impact for people across the political spectrum.鈥�

Focusing on the material benefits of climate resilience programs has already been a winning strategy elsewhere, including in Schlenker-Goodrich鈥檚 home state of New Mexico. While New Mexico has Democratic leaders, it is a top . Transitioning to cleaner energy promises to reshape the state鈥檚 economy and workforce. Still, the , legislation aimed at decarbonization, is progressing through the state legislature. Schlenker-Goodrich says it has been successful because 鈥渃limate equity principles are built into the bill,鈥� ensuring communities on the front lines of climate change and those most affected by the energy transition will be targeted for support.听

Messaging around the Clear Horizons Act in New Mexico highlights how the legislation would not only reduce pollution but also create new jobs, spur small business growth, and improve infrastructure. Carter says these talking points are persuasive in Republican-led constituencies and perhaps even on the federal level. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something [to keep in mind], especially when you have a federal administration that is clearly very concerned with cost cutting,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e should be talking about cost benefits of renewable energy, of electrification, [and] the burdens of high energy bills.鈥�

Looking ahead, the climate movement is not only facing Trump鈥檚 early top-down attacks but also fatigue and harmful misinformation campaigns seeking to divide it. 鈥淧eople are getting burned out,鈥� Carter says. 鈥淚 think it has felt like that for a while in the environmental space, but with the very quick dismantling of federal programs, it puts a lot of concern, fear, and just general exhaustion into the advocacy community.鈥�

To combat these threats and ensure continued progress toward climate justice, organizers say building power within communities is more critical than ever. This work begins on the local level and requires critics of the Trump administration to be strategic in their organizing and communication. Carter, who organizes with North Carolinians across the political spectrum, suggests focusing conversations with neighbors on shared goals and material concerns rather than misinformation. 鈥淪ay, Hey, if you need help with your HVAC, you need to call your legislator and tell them 鈥業 need this funding,鈥�鈥� Carter explains. 鈥淭his is a huge opportunity to unite people.鈥�

Looking at the bigger picture, Schlenker-Goodrich urges imagination and even optimism. 鈥淚 think this moment compels us to think pretty expansively about not only how we defend against this moment, but also, how do we create something new that emerges out of it?鈥�

For the Indigenous peoples of Moananui膩kea鈥攁cross the water from our relatives on Turtle Island and around the globe鈥攐ur fight for justice is rooted in our ancestral connection and kinship to the land, water, and earth. Our 办奴辫耻苍补 (ancestors) have long practiced sustainable stewardship values, including m膩l膩ma 驶膩ina (care for the land) and kuleana (responsibility) to restore both our environment and our communities. Real climate justice work requires honoring Indigenous knowledge and empowering grassroots efforts to protect our sacred relationship with Mother Earth.

As we navigate a volatile economic and political environment, our resolve must be clear: Climate justice cannot take a back seat. We cannot abandon the decades of work to create healthier environments, regenerative systems, and economic opportunities in tribal, Indigenous, and rural communities across the country. 

The fight for has always been led by Indigenous, Black, and frontline communities because we have always been the first to experience environmental harm. The forced displacement of Indigenous peoples from our lands was one of the earliest acts of environmental injustice, literally paving the way for extractive industries that have since poisoned land, air, and water. Today, fossil fuel projects continue to bring violence to Indigenous communities. As a result, Indigenous communities around the globe have always been鈥攁nd continue to be鈥攐n the front lines, protecting our land and our communities. 

Climate justice is not a separate battle from racial justice, Indigenous rights, gender equity, or economic justice鈥�it is the throughline that connects them all. Take, for example, the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR+), which is fueled in large part by transient male workers in fossil fuel extraction camps near reservations. The MMIWR+ crisis is inseparable from environmental exploitation. Ending pipeline construction and mining projects is not just an environmental imperative; it is a necessary step to halt violence against Indigenous communities, against women, and against our two spirit relatives.听

When we view social issues through the lens of climate justice, we create pathways for real, systemic change. Investing in renewable energy and land stewardship is not only about sustainability; it is about sovereignty, community resilience, and protection from the rising tide of authoritarianism. 

Knowledge for the Future

Indigenous communities have long held the key to climate resilience. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) offers regenerative models of land and water stewardship, ensuring sustainability for future generations. One example is in South Dakota, an organization revitalizing Lakota culture, increasing job and food security, and reconnecting people back to our land through regenerative buffalo ranching. 

Buffalo are native to this land, and therefore have a symbiotic relationship with it. Their presence creates biodiversity in many ways. They graze the grasses down to different heights, providing nesting grounds for birds. They also roll around and pack down the soil in depressions in the ground known as wallows, which fill with rainwater and offer breeding pools for amphibians as well as sources of drinking water for wildlife across the landscape. And buffalo travel long distances to graze and find water, their sharp hooves churning the earth along the way, breaking up roots and aerating the soil to allow for new growth. 

Pre-colonization, 60 million buffalo roamed North America, supporting both the ecosystem and Indigenous lifeways. The U.S. government nearly wiped out the buffalo in a deliberate strategy to starve Indigenous people. Today, Native-led projects like Sacred Storm Buffalo are restoring buffalo populations, reviving local economies, and rebuilding biodiversity.

Similarly, in Hawai鈥榠 is restoring Indigenous farming techniques to grow staple foods like kalo (taro). Before Western contact, Hawai驶i was a fully autonomous island nation, supporting nearly a million people through the 补丑耻辫耻补驶补 system鈥攁 sophisticated land-management approach that connected mountain agriculture to shoreline aquaculture, ensuring ecological balance and abundant resources. 

Pre-colonization, Native Hawaiians used regenerative farming techniques such as diverting stream water to nourish wetland crops before returning nutrient-rich water to the ocean, which in turn sustained thriving fishponds. Colonization and exploitative plantation agriculture鈥攑articularly sugarcane鈥攄ismantled this system and caused widespread environmental and cultural devastation. The U.S. military and modern tourism industry has exacerbated environmental harm even further, creating the conditions that led to the devastating Maui wildfires and continue to cause among Native Hawaiians. 

Today, KIKA is revitalizing traditional farming practices, restoring ecosystems, and producing culturally appropriate food to support Hawaiian communities. And by teaching youth 21st-century versions of traditional farming practices, they鈥檙e also strengthening cultural identity and mental health, providing young people with a sense of belonging. 

These are just a couple examples of Indigenous-led efforts proving that climate solutions already exist鈥攁nd make sense for our environment, our communities, and our economy. Indigenous communities are developing solutions to mitigate the climate crisis based on real-time experiences coupled with generational knowledge that is rooted in relationships with their environment. 

Supporting Solutions

With government agencies and programs being gutted on a mass scale, leaving countless organizations and efforts unsure of their futures, the role of the private sector has never been more urgent. Private foundations, high-net-worth individuals, and philanthropic organizations must step in to close the funding gap and ensure that communities on the front lines of the climate crisis are not abandoned.

We need strategic investment in climate resilience, Indigenous land stewardship, community-led sustainability projects, and the frameworks and strategies that Indigenous, Black, and frontline organizers have spent decades developing. The Bloomberg Foundation, for instance, has committed billions to combat climate change鈥攖his must become the norm, not the exception.

Philanthropy alone is not enough. We must also strengthen grassroots networks by increasing our resilience efforts. Every community should be asking: How can we become more climate resilient? How can we build mutual aid networks that support people during climate disasters? How can we use climate action as a tool for broader social change and economic empowerment? How does our existing work shift if we look at it through a climate justice lens? 

Indigenous communities are developing solutions to mitigate the climate crisis based on real-time experiences coupled with generational knowledge that is rooted in relationships with their environment. Investment in climate justice in Indigenous and rural communities helps those communities become energy sovereign, it helps communities access affordable and healthy food, and it creates regenerative economic opportunities. It just makes sense. 

Mitigating climate change is not a new endeavor for Indigenous, tribal, and rural communities. We already hold the knowledge necessary to navigate the next phase of the climate crisis. What we need now is unwavering support鈥攆rom philanthropists, from organizers, and from every person who believes in a just future. 

Climate justice means food security for all, clean air and water for all, the development of clean energy on tribal lands, and protection for our Mother Earth. Climate justice is racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and the path to liberation for all people and Mother Earth. We must lock arms and stand for all that is sacred now.

There is no sager dietary advice than 鈥淓at your vegetables.鈥� A parent has probably told you this countless times. It鈥檚 also the mantra of Michael Pollan, which he turned into multiple best-selling books: 鈥溾�� Nutrition experts have been telling us to eat more fresh produce for so long .

However, it turns out vegetables are making us fat. The more servings of vegetables we eat, the more calories we consume. That鈥檚 the startling conclusion of a 2014 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report titled 鈥�,鈥� which concluded that when we eat one cup of a particular vegetable鈥攔ead on to find out which one鈥攊n a restaurant, we rack up 364 more calories than if we didn鈥檛 eat it.

To understand why requires a brief primer in nutrition. We need fruits and vegetables to thrive. They provide water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. They have a lot of bulk but are low in calories, so they help us avoid sugary, salty, fatty snacks. Pickled produce, such as cabbage, mango, radish, and cucumbers, delivers probiotics for gut health. Most importantly, eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help us live longer. In the clinical language of : 鈥淔ruit and vegetable intakes were associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality.鈥�

Nearly everyone is familiar with the 鈥渇ive-a-day鈥� recommendation for fruits and vegetables. , the , and even the agree we should eat five servings a day. That means half a cup of foods such as blueberries, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, or apples. For greens such as spinach, kale, cabbage, or lettuce, a serving is one packed cup of raw leaves or a half-cup of cooked greens. A half cup of cooked pulses, such as beans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils also counts as a serving.

In 2014, Americans ate, on average, , or five servings, according to the USDA. It sounds like we are meeting our goals, but all is not what it seems. One problem is the real minimum is a day, per the聽U.S. National Cancer Institute. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eat this amount of fruit or vegetables.听

But even seven servings a day is misleading. That鈥檚 what should eat. The first problem is many of us should eat 10 or more servings a day, as I will explain. Because we are so far below 10 a day, the advice to eat five servings is a form of harm reduction. Nutrition experts are encouraging us to eat one or two more servings a day rather than discouraging us by admitting we are falling far short of out minimum needs.

The second issue is we also need . Every day we should have a serving of dark leafy greens; a red or orange vegetable, such as a tomato or a sweet potato; and lentils, peas, or beans. Virtually no one eats these foods every day. The third problem is the type of vegetables we eat regularly, how they are prepared, and what accompanies them. Related to this is the problem of what the USDA considers a serving of a fruit or a vegetable.

Here鈥檚 the rub: We average about three servings of vegetables a day, and of that. Potatoes almost always come loaded with fat, calories, and sodium, such as fries, chips, mashed, scalloped, or gratin. Baked potatoes are healthier, but spuds are typically swimming in butter, cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Tomatoes are even worse. We may think we usually enjoy them on a refreshing salad with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, but in reality we eat tomatoes as salsa, ketchup, and sauces in cheesy pizza, meaty lasagna, stuffed burritos, loaded nachos, thick hamburgers, and greasy fries. That鈥檚 why for every cup of tomatoes we eat in restaurants, we pack on an extra 364 calories. 

Eliminate potatoes and tomatoes, and Americans eat less than one cup of vegetables a day, and there is no guarantee it鈥檚 healthy. It might be creamed spinach, broccoli with cheese sauce, or greens piled with meat and cheese and slicked with oil. 

Adding fat to vegetables is a strategy in the restaurant industry. Vegetables can be made tasty, healthy, and low fat, such as those roasted, but such methods are labor intensive. Instead, restaurants have adopted the mantra 鈥�.鈥� These ingredients are taxpayer subsidized, packed with flavor, and require little added labor, which makes them high profit. But we end up ingesting excessive amounts of , only adding to the restaurant鈥檚 bottom line and our waist line.

Our diets have worsened since the USDA鈥檚 2014 report. since 2003, dropping from more than 400 pounds annually per capita to about 350 pounds in 2022. This is largely a result of social conditions: The Great Recession, the pandemic, and inflation have pushed more people into poverty even as food, especially fresh produce, rises in cost.

The situation is just as bad for fruit. That鈥檚 because the USDA considers juice a serving, which accounts for . Sure, 100 percent fruit juice has vitamins and minerals. But it can have , and it鈥檚 the added 鈥溾�� that are most harmful to our health. Another 10 percent of our fruit intake is canned or dried鈥攁nd it鈥檚 a good bet they have added sugar as well.听

Remove potatoes, tomatoes, and fruit juice, and Americans eat barely 2.5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day on average, and even that may be overstating it. How did our diets get so bad and how can we improve them? 

The main problem is corporations hold sway over our food system and our lives, from work and housing to family and leisure. Agribusiness fruits and vegetables are expensive. They are grown thousands of miles from our tables, expensive to transport and store, and cost far more per calorie than energy-dense and heavily such as beef, cheese, wheat, and sugar. Since we are time and money stressed, we eat subsidized foods in the form of ultra-processed fast food and junk food that give us a moment of satisfaction at the cost of a lifetime of illness.听

The solution is simple: Remove the profit motive so workers and communities own and operate farms, kitchens, grocers, and restaurants. This would allow us to mine our vast culinary history to match food cultures with local communities, tastes, and bioregions. Food cooked daily from fresh ingredients in small batches is mostly found in immigrant or high-end restaurants as it requires skill and labor. Such restaurants often exploit workers, but we could redirect tens of billions in agricultural subsidies that benefit food giants to subsidize local systems with cuisines that are far more delicious than corporate food while being healthy and low cost.

Of course we need to build a constituency and political power to have any hope of creating food systems free of capitalist rot. In the meantime, how do we get more fresh produce every day?

I tried one method after stumbling on an created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2013. Based on age, exercise, and gender, it told me how many fruits and vegetables I should eat. Forget five a day鈥攁s a male in my 40s who exercised more than one hour a day, I had to eat 12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. For my partner, Michelle, who is similarly active, it was 10 servings a day. (, but there is a similar one at .)听

I was stunned. Having cooked professionally, I knew that meant shopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning, and storing 154 portions of fruits and vegetables a week. I tried it for several months. It took me 25 hours a week or more, almost a full-time job. But I discovered something interesting. When I ate more than eight servings of produce a day, I shifted to a plant-based diet. I was eating fewer chips and cold cuts, and more salads, beans, pickles, fresh fruit smoothies, and stir fries. 

Even though I work from home, spending so much time cooking wasn鈥檛 a realistic solution for me, much less for families with kids and those who don鈥檛 have professional skills and equipment. 

The most important morsel of knowledge for healthier eating is understanding what motivates food choices. Taste, convenience, speed, predictability, and cost determine what we eat. We hit the drive-through because we know and like how that fried chicken sandwich tastes, it is (relatively) cheap, the location is convenient as is eating鈥攊t can be done with one hand while driving鈥攁nd it鈥檚 quick to order, cook, eat, and clean up. 

have risen sharply as eating out has soared. Over a 40-year period, beginning in the late 1970s, more than 70 percent, and fast food visits nearly tripled. Knowing this, eat at home as much as possible. Minimally processed foods such as pre-cut vegetables and salads are fine. When possible, avoid highly processed foods in bags, cans, and boxes. Plain frozen fruit and vegetables are great since they preserve the nutritional value at peak harvest, but when possible, avoid frozen meals like burritos, dumplings, and pizzas. They tend to have lots of additives, are high calorie, and lead to overconsumption. Eat produce without gobs of meat, dairy, oil, and sugar. We joke that 鈥�,鈥� but putting a salad on top of a slice doesn鈥檛 make it healthier. Have a salad instead.听

While we should eat more fruits and vegetables however we can, we can鈥檛 put the onus on individuals if for no other reason than 50 years of health advice is not working. Real change begins with knowing how Big Food is tricking us into thinking we are eating healthy when we aren鈥檛. Ultimately we need to tear out the existing food system root and branch, and create a culinary polyculture that serves the needs of humans and the planet.

The rapidly circulating avian flu has yet to be detected in New York鈥檚 dairy herds, but these farmworkers鈥攎embers of聽, a group dedicated to fighting for the rights of dairy workers and their communities鈥攄on鈥檛 want to take any chances.

Already detected in New York鈥檚 wild birds, a range of wild mammals, and multiple poultry farms, the virus could soon hit the state鈥檚 dairy industry鈥擭ew York鈥檚 largest agricultural sector, spanning almost聽. While the virus is still considered low-risk to the general public, it poses a聽聽who directly feed, medicate, and milk the cows from dawn to dusk.

So far,聽聽of the U.S. outbreak of the virus have been in poultry or dairy farmworkers, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Yet members of Alianza Agr铆cola say that farmworkers in their group have not received education or training in their workplaces about how to protect themselves from the virus. This has prompted them to take matters into their own hands. Over the past few months, the group has educated hundreds of other farmworkers on how to prepare for avian flu, including by traveling directly to dairy farms and providing education at their meetings.

鈥淣one of the employers have given us any information about this,鈥� Luis Jim茅nez, a dairy farmworker and the president Alianza Agr铆cola, tells Sentient. 鈥淎ll of the information I have [on avian flu]鈥攁nd that we鈥檝e been able to share with other workers鈥攊s because we鈥檝e been able to inform ourselves from other institutions.鈥�

The CDC has issued interim聽聽to protect farmworkers and other people working with animals from avian flu, recommending that employers train workers on how to identify the virus and other infection-control practices. Yet this guidance is voluntary, without any means of enforcing or even widely distributing it鈥攃reating a significant gap in worker protections, in New York and across the country.

Even in states where the H5N1 virus is already circulating in dairy herds, advocates have observed that dairy farmworkers lack basic training and information on the virus.

鈥淎 lot of workers have told us that they weren鈥檛 told anything, which actually really stresses people out. When cows were getting sick, they weren鈥檛 told why,鈥� said Bethany Alcauter, who directs research and public health programs for the National Center for Farmworker Health. 鈥淢any workers were really concerned that they were doing something to make the cow sick, and it caused a fair amount of distress,鈥� she added.

Providing Education to 500 New York Farmworkers

If the virus were to strike New York鈥檚 dairy farms, these farmworkers鈥攍ow-wage,聽without health insurance鈥攚ould be on the front lines. Beyond protecting other farmworkers from H5N1, Alianza Agr铆cola鈥檚 outreach helps prevent the spread of the virus to聽 and the rising risk of its聽聽if it were to mutate to become transmissible between humans.

鈥淔armworkers, of course, are the most vulnerable to the disease because they鈥檙e the ones working with the animals,鈥� said Delcianna Winders, the director of Animal and Law Policy Institute at Vermont Law School. 鈥淏ut then, of course, they don鈥檛 live in isolated bubbles. They live in larger communities, and so when they go out into those communities, they鈥檙e at the highest risk of spreading the virus to other members of the community.鈥�

Jim茅nez says that they鈥檝e worked with the New York Department of Health, the聽,聽and other institutions outside of the state to ensure that their educational materials on the quickly evolving virus are accurate and up to date. This has involved printing and distributing a brochure (in聽听补苍诲听), 鈥淗5N1 Guidance for Farmworkers,鈥� to about 500 dairy workers so far, according to Jim茅nez.

The brochure explains how the virus can spread through milk, feces, and other body fluids of the infected animals and provides guidance on how farmworkers can reduce exposure to the virus.

While Jim茅nez has encountered some farmworkers who have never heard of avian flu, the majority of workers are familiar with it. More frequently, he encounters farmworkers who are confused about the public health risks of the virus, while not realizing that they are聽聽of contracting the virus.

鈥淸Other farmworkers] always tell us that they believe you can鈥檛 get infected so easily, or that it鈥檚 like any normal flu. So we tell them that, 鈥楴o, it鈥檚 different symptoms, and it鈥檚 very easy to get infected if you work with infected animals,鈥濃�� says Jim茅nez.

The brochure also includes information on how to identify symptoms of the virus in humans with clear visual graphics, though it also notes that . Finally, the brochure provides farmworkers with QR codes and links on how they can get tested for the virus through  and receive health services through New York鈥檚 statewide .

At every meeting, Jim茅nez says they pass out the brochures. 鈥淲e tell them, 鈥楧on鈥檛 forget, we have brochures to be informed about what is happening and what avian flu is,鈥欌�� he says. They also host meetings dedicated to discussing the virus, sometimes with speakers like Mary Jo Dudley, the Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program, who spoke with the group about how to prepare. They鈥檙e currently working with Dudley and the New York Department of Health to put out a graphic video with further guidance for farmworkers on the virus.

Dudley says she fielded questions from farmworkers about how they would be able to know if the virus is spreading through cattle鈥攓uestions that are critical not only to the safety of farmworkers but also to the broader prevention of the virus.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of questions about how would we detect it if the cows have it? How is it spread?鈥� Dudley tells Sentient. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 spread through milk. So milk includes splatter. Splatter gets into manure. So there鈥檚 all these different levels. How do you protect people at each level?鈥� As H5N1 continues to spread, the answers to these questions are also evolving鈥攑articularly as some scientists are concerned the virus聽

Keeping Farmworker Communities Safe

In addition to the looming threat of avian flu, the recent聽,聽or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, since Trump returned to the White House has heightened fears and anxieties among farmworkers.

In recent weeks, Dudley says that she has observed both ICE and local enforcement parked directly outside health clinics where New York farmworkers would seek care if exhibiting symptoms of the virus. 鈥淭hat creates pause,鈥� says Dudley. 鈥淎re you going to try to go into that health center, you know?鈥�

Dudley has also heard concerns from farmworkers about the prospect of government personnel entering farms should there be an outbreak. 鈥淚f there is an event with avian flu, then the first step is that inspectors will come to inspect the herd,鈥� she says. Yet in this environment of heightened immigration enforcement, Dudley says, farmworkers are more suspicious of strangers and government officials who come to their workplaces.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of government vigilance,鈥� says Dudley. 鈥淲hen you see somebody who you interpret to be a representative of the government, you can鈥檛 differentiate between what they鈥檙e there for,鈥� which can create fear and confusion.

Dudley recommends that dairy operators put a sign in front of the farm entrance that reads, 鈥淣o Visitors Allowed for Biosecurity Reasons,鈥� along with a number that any invited visitors can call if they need to inspect or conduct business on the farm. (The biosecurity issue isn鈥檛 a cover;  can increase the risk of tracking in avian flu.)

Jim茅nez says they鈥檝e provided virtual and in-person trainings to the local community in western New York on how to respond to ICE raids. 鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e in this difficult situation with the new administration, so we鈥檙e asking allies to be alert,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f the police call ICE, I think that the allies can help by聽聽supporting the families, or聽聽saying that the workers are part of the community and they are just working and being good neighbors.鈥�

In the meantime, Jim茅nez plans to keep working hard at his job at an large-scale dairy farm where his role is tending to the calves. 鈥淭he weapon that we use as workers is doing good and responsible work,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e are always going to have that as a tool for organizing.鈥� Alianza Agr铆cola has won what seemed like an impossible fight before, successfully pushing New York to allow undocumented immigrants to聽.

While the fights ahead may be even larger, Jim茅nez has never been one to give into fear: He plans to keep organizing with other farmworkers to prepare for both the risks of immigration enforcement and the avian flu hitting New York dairy farms. The future may be deeply uncertain, but Alianza Agr铆cola is informed and ready.

This story was originally published by .