Can grains of the past help us weather storms of the future?

Around the world, communities are creating new technologies, processes, and relationships to the land in an effort to adapt to the changing climate. From the I-Kiribati using new hydroponic systems to grow food amidst rising sea levels, to farmers in Telangana using sustainable greenhouse technology, to the use of solar panels on Indigenous lands like Little Buffalo, those that depend on the land the most are having to adapt first. Underscoring each response is a collaborative, collective resilience.

The Mvskoke 4-H Ocmulgee Club, in collaboration with Oklahoma State University and MCN Food Distribution, teaches Muscogee (Creek) Nation students hands-on pecan tree planting and food sovereignty skills rooted in Mvskoke cultural tradition.

Some farmers in drought-prone areas are planting sorghum, an ancient grain that requires less water and fertilizer than crops like corn, as a way to offset climate change-related losses.

The warning system in Indonesia to alert residents of tsunamis could not prevent disaster in Sulawesi because it hasn't worked for six years after many of the surface buoys were vandalized. However, a new system is underway where sensors on the bottom of the ocean detect tsunami waves and send acoustic signals back to shore, giving people 20 to 30 minutes warning to evacuate. A prototype has been installed, with more testing and infrastructure development planned.

Restoring biodiversity to agricultural land improves food security and helps to sequester carbon. In Honduras, the revival of indigenous agroforestry techniques includes the use shade-grown organic coffee, grown alongside fruit-producing trees and other useful crops. Cosagual Lenca, an all-female cooperative of coffee growers, works to introduce and popularize the techniques.

In an effort to rebuild after Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake, Earthbags have become a growing method of sustainable, affordable construction. These bags are carefully filled with soil, and stacked on one another to build structures like homes and schools. Across the country, officials, local residents, and non-profits like Good Earth Nepal have embraced the method in a grassroots push to rebuild the country for and by themselves.

Immigrants from Laos farming in California are using traditional knowledge and small-scale farming to make farming economically viable. While Hmong farmers face cultural challenges, they are looking to sustain and expand their businesses to new markets.

Indigenous communities in Nepal use traditional earthen storage bins called dehari—made from locally available clay, husk, and dung—that naturally regulate temperature and moisture to protect grains and seeds from extreme heat, pests, and floods without electricity. The success of this food-preservation method has increased local food security and seed diversity across smallholder farming communities.

Heritage Growers, a 200-acre nonprofit native seed farm founded in 2021, is addressing California's critical shortage of locally adapted native seeds by producing 30,000-40,000 pounds annually of seeds. They have already helped restore thousands of acres with native plants, including the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (2,500 acres).

The InterTribal Buffalo Council coordinated the transfer of more than 1,500 buffalo to over 20 tribal nations in 2025, growing a tribally managed herd network that has moved more than 25,000 animals across 22 states and enabled cultural revitalization, food sovereignty, and ecological restoration in Native communities.