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Missoula, by way of Wisconsin and Washington D.C.

Present Title

Director of Advocacy & Communications at the Organic Seed Alliance

Her Passion

Protecting family farms and community food systems from unfair and destructive corporate practices.

Accomplishments

The faculty awarded Kiki Hubbard a Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship for her leadership potential when she was a graduate student. Clearly, that was a wise choice.

For over 15 years now, Kiki has drawn public attention to the tremendous economic and political power held by a few corporations that control seed, biotechnology, and chemical inputs, the most concentrated sector in agriculture today. She has led numerous farmer-based organizing efforts, including one that eventually prompted a federal antitrust investigation into the Monsanto Company. At Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), Hubbard furthers this work by pushing for sound public policy to protect farmers from the abuse of intellectual property rights by the seed giants.

Today, Kiki leads OSA’s efforts to promote plant breeding and seed systems that will meet the needs of the growing organic sector. Although required by law to use organic seed when available, finding it can be a major challenge for farmers. OSA is closing that gap by training farmers to grow seed organically, including plant breeding on their farms to produce varieties that are adapted to local soil and climate conditions. Hubbard complements that fieldwork with dogged advocacy to improve organic standards and increase research funds for organics at the federal level.

Learn more about this work by exploring Hubbard’s recent report on the State of Organic Seed, 2016

What Others Are Saying

"Kiki Hubbard has been a dynamo and inspiration from the day she graduated from the EVST program.  Her advocacy work on behalf of rural communities and organic farming has had a positive and lasting impact.  Kiki is applauded and appreciated across the U.S. for her commitment, her tenacity, her analytical mind, and her leadership. She is a game changer.” ~ David Oien Founding Farmer and President, Timeless Seeds, Inc.

What Kiki Says About EVST

The Environmental Studies program allowed me to further my credentials in a way that balanced passion with purpose, classroom learning with field-based immersion. The program is committed to training the next generation of mission-driven advocacy leaders and supporting their success.