Organic farmers face many disadvantaging and marginalizing factors in their agricultural practices. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) is a method of crop breeding that pairs farmers' knowledge with the skills of formal plant breeders to bolster the insights generated by each partner. This study examines the potential of PPB programs to benefit Canadian organic farmers through a case study of the first-ever national PPB program. This study adopts a political ecology approach to analyze how PPB better meets the needs of organic farmers, compared to the dominant industrial seed systems. Farmers identified the networks and collaboration derived from the program to be as important as the actual materials developed. They also expressed the need for consistent institutional funding for PPB and organic agronomy. These findings will allow improvements to be made to the structure and methodologies of existing and new PPB programs to the benefit of all stakeholders.iii Acknowledgements This project was supported though funding that was graciously provided by both the MITACS Accelerate program, and through the Organic Farming Research Foundation. I appreciate immensely this financial support to help support the life and learning of a young researcher. The opportunity to be involved with SeedChange as an intern has helped open insights to the work being done in Canada to support both farmers and sustainable agricultural practices. I am so appreciative for this opportunity to work with SeedChange and look forward to breaking new ground down the road. Thank you to Dr. Helen Jensen and Aabir Dey for their support in mobilizing this research project within their organizational networks. Thank you as well to all the Regional Coordinators at BFICSS; Rebecca, Iris, David, Hugo, and Steph, for getting the word out to research participants and for always being available for a call or email. Special thank you goes out to Hugo Martorell for your help with interpretation during one of my interviews.Thank you to Dr. Martin Entz at the University of Manitoba for your direction and insights into how to make this project flourish.I would like to thank Drs. Patricia Ballamingie and Peter Andrée for their continuous support and direction throughout my graduate degree and thesis. I would like to particularly thank Patricia and Peter for their flexibility and resourcefulness during a period of time and adaptation that was certainly a whirlwind for all students. I would like to thank the amazing staff, faculty, and my graduate peers in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Carleton University. Although it was less than two semesters, the welcome felt in Loeb was carried through all those years writing remotely during the pandemic. This project could not have been realized without the participants. It is their stories, actions, and beliefs as farmers that are the backbone of this work. For their welcoming spirits and iv open approaches to sharing knowledge, I am exceptionally grateful. This process and this project have been a ph...
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