Semilla Nueva has been named the 2024 F.M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact winner. This is a huge honor and provides $150,000 to support our work at a critical moment when governments in El Salvador and Guatemala are investing in piloting our model to achieve the widespread adoption of biofortified corn seeds.

Funded by the F.M. Kirby Foundation and implemented in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, the Kirby Prize recognizes “enterprises pursuing strategic pathways to impact at scale, who are close to the challenges at hand, who center the voice and experience of the populations they serve, who have demonstrated traction, and who embody courageous and collaborative leadership.”

The Prize shared a wonderful video announcing the win. 

The Kirby Prize selection committee was particularly impressed by our systems approach. They noted that our strategy aligns incentives for all stakeholders, leading to a win-win situation: consumers gain access to higher-nutrition maize, smallholder farmers can increase profits, seed companies have a higher-value product, and governments benefit from a healthier population and a more resilient agriculture sector.

We are deeply grateful for this recognition and for the tireless efforts of our staff, board, advisors and funders who are helping us scale the adoption of biofortified corn seeds. This honor takes us one step closer to our 2036 goal: 3 million farmers nourishing 100 million people. We’re excited to become part of the Kirby Prize family and look forward to working with CASE in the future. 

Be a part of our mission to ensure that nutritious food reaches those who need it most.

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In February, Semilla Nueva launched its first gene editing project with scientists at the University of Wisconsin. This technology could transform Semilla Nueva’s ability to scale biofortified maize.

“Imagine a pair of tiny precision scissors that allow us to insert a gene for nutrition into the DNA of a maize variety known for its high yields and climate resilience,” explains Enrique Kreff, Semilla Nueva’s Breeding Director. “Gene editing tools like CRISPR allow us to make these changes at the exact location in the plant’s DNA where a desired trait, such as Zinc or Iron content, is located. This approach can bypass years of traditional breeding, making it much cheaper and faster to biofortify any maize seed for any part of the world.”

Enrique explains that since our use of gene editing will involve minor genetic modifications, the resulting seeds will be considered non-GMO.

Until now, Semilla Nueva has relied on a conventional breeding approach called “backcrossing,” through which a desired trait in one variety (such as Zinc content) is introduced into another with desired characteristics (such as high yield) through successive generations of planting, selection, and replanting. This process requires 4-6 years and as much as $300,000 for hybrid related. CRISPR could reduce the time and cost to a year and $30,000, respectively. 

According to Semilla Nueva’s Executive Director, Curt Bowen, “Gene editing could be a real game-changer for us, making it possible to quickly and inexpensively biofortify the best possible seed for any location in the world.”

While its potential is exciting, the use of CRISPR in maize breeding, especially for nutritional improvements, is still relatively new. Enrique explains, “The first step of our three-year project focuses on looking at 15  genes we’ve identified as potentially responsible for improving nutritional content in maize. From there, we’ll select between 4 to 6 of the most promising genes and use CRISPR to biofortify maize developed by the Government of Guatemala for highland regions and well as other seeds for Central America and Africa.”

We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress!

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We have always felt that Semilla Nueva has a deep promise to fulfill; that so much passion from so many people had to be leading to something big. 2013 was the year we truly began to see that promise become a reality. Four times as many farmers experimented with new farming techniques this year. We ran a census that showed  hundreds of families following our farmer leaders’ examples and changing their practices. (more…)

“If you give me a fish, you have fed me for a day. If you teach me how to fish you have fed me until the river is contaminated or the shoreline seized for development. But if you teach me to organize then whatever the challenge I can join together with my peers and we will fashion our own solution.”

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Semilla Nueva would like to warmly welcome our very first Development Fellows, Haley Kirk and Lisa Eash! The Fellowship Program at Semilla Nueva is a 6.5 month long placement for individuals who want to further their on-the-ground experience in non-profit management and agricultural development. 

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By Patricia Bowen, Semilla Nueva Intern

This post was originally posted on Everyday Ambassador’s blog. The “Wednesday Wisdom”  blog is a weekly series curated by Everyday Ambassador partnerships director  Meg VanDeusen. Every Wednesday, they  feature updates from their partners and reflections from the Everyday Ambassador community. To stay current with their latest posts, follow #wednesdaywisdom or #wordstoliveby on our other platforms, and check back regularly for updates.

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 Nine organizations both national and international came together with Semilla Nueva’s farmers and their families at the first National Farmer Conference at the Semilla Nueva Experimental and Training Center Wednesday, October 29th.

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