An Internship That Became a Calling

On any given day in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Patrick Trail can be found walking the grounds of the ECHO Asia Impact Center, talking with staff, meeting with partners, and listening as ideas are shared across cultures and contexts. The work is relational. The pace is steady. The impact reaches far beyond what can be seen in a single moment. 

It is hard to imagine now, but Patrick’s journey with ECHO did not begin with a long-term plan for Asia. It began with a simple visit.

Discovering ECHO

As a graduate student passionate about agriculture and mission, Patrick attended an agronomy conference in Florida. One of the optional site visits was to the ECHO Global Farm in Fort Myers. What he encountered there immediately resonated. 

“Upon learning of ECHO,” Patrick recalls, “I got so excited, knowing that I had just found the organization I was made for, an organization marrying together my two God-given passions of faith and farming.” 

At the time, Patrick already knew he wanted to serve small-scale farmers and contribute to improved food security through agricultural development. Discovering that ECHO had been doing this work faithfully for decades felt like an answered prayer.

 

An Internship at ECHO

Patrick applied for the internship at the North America Impact Center, eager to gain hands-on experience in tropical agriculture alongside practitioners who had spent years walking with farmers in challenging contexts. 

During that season, one idea stood out. 

ECHO’s approach is not to prescribe answers, but to begin with listening, respecting local knowledge, and sharing agricultural options that farmers can adapt forthemselves. 

“[ECHO’s philosophy] forces us to place the focus back on the relationship with the people we serve,” Patrick explains. “The men and women we serve often have extensive traditional knowledge and ingenuity that sometimes need exposure to new possibilities. They often need a helping hand instead of a handout.”

During the internship, Patrick also worked in the monsoon demonstration area, helping reshape the landscape and plant crops in a project that is still used today.

As part of the internship, participants could attend an international ECHO conference. Patrick chose the 2015 ECHO Asia Agriculture and Community Development Conference in Thailand. 

During that visit, he met Dr. Abram Bicksler, who was then serving as Regional Director for ECHO Asia. Not long afterward, Patrick accepted a two-year role in Thailand as a Research and Technical Associate, assuming it would only be a short season.

Growing in Thailand

Patrick has now served with ECHO Asia for nearly a decade. During that time, he met his wife, who was also serving in Thailand, and together they have welcomed two children, both born there. 

Over the years, Patrick served as a technical advisor, agricultural trainer, and Agricultural Extension Manager, building relationships with staff and partners across Asia. 

In 2023, after serving for two years on the interim leadership team, Patrick stepped into the role of Director of ECHO Asia. 

Patrick is quick to emphasize that his leadership is not about position or individual achievement. He often notes that his role is made easier by the incredibly dedicated and talented team around him. Many staff members and partners have worked together for years, creating stability and trust as the Impact Center has grown. 

A Network That Multiplies

Patrick sees the power of the ECHO network most clearly in its multiplying effect. By serving practitioners, missionaries, pastors, and development workers, ECHO contributes to a ripple effect as people share what they have learned within their own communities. 

“It mirrors the approach of Jesus himself,” Patrick reflects. “He chose to pour into His twelve disciples who would go on to impact many.” 

In many ways, Patrick’s story reflects the heart of strengthening and growing the ECHO network. 

An internship became a calling. 
Training became leadership. 
And one person’s yes became part of a much larger story God continues to write. 

Cultivating Hope Together: ECHO and Compassion International

Through a growing partnership, ECHO and Compassion International are working together to address hunger at its roots, joining faith, knowledge, and community to see lasting change.

A Challenge We Share

Across many regions of the world, growing food is becoming increasingly difficult. Changing weather patterns, degraded soils, and limited access to agricultural learning affect families and communities.

For many of the churches partnered with Compassion International, these challenges are deeply felt. Compassion walks alongside children living in poverty, providing care, nutrition, and support through the local church. Yet the ongoing reality of food insecurity calls for long-term, locally rooted solutions that extend beyond immediate needs.

This is where our partnership begins.

Who is Compassion International?

Compassion International is a Christian ministry dedicated to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. They seek to build God’s kingdom by equipping churches to reach the world’s most vulnerable children with the transformative hope of the gospel. As children are empowered with education, health care, and the good news, they can grow into thriving followers of Jesus ready to transform their families, communities, and nations.
Their model is deeply relational and locally grounded. Churches understand the realities families face and are trusted voices within their communities. This foundation creates space for deeper, more sustainable responses to challenges like hunger.

Where ECHO Comes Alongside

At ECHO, we believe no one should suffer hunger in a world of abundance. We partner with farmers, churches, and organizations to share practical agricultural approaches that work in challenging environments, grounded in both science and faith. 

Through our global network, Regional Impact Centers, and ECHOcommunity platform, we connect people with knowledge, seeds, and locally appropriate practices that can strengthen food systems over time.

Rather than bringing one-size-fits-all answers, we listen, learn, and collaborate. Together with partners and network members, we test ideas, share what works, and support locally led solutions that reflect both care for people and stewardship of creation.

A Partnership Rooted in Complementary Strengths

This partnership reflects the beauty of the body of Christ, where each part brings something unique.

Compassion brings trusted relationships with the local church.

ECHO brings agricultural knowledge and a global learning network.

Local communities bring wisdom, resilience, and deep understanding of their land.

Together, these strengths create something neither organization could accomplish alone.

What This Looks Like in Practice

In Tanzania, Compassion partners with hundreds of churches serving children and families in their communities. These churches have identified food insecurity as a significant and ongoing challenge.

Through collaboration with ECHO:

  • Churches are establishing seed banks and tree nurseries
  • Local leaders are engaging with ECHOcommunity to ask questions and share learning
  • Trainings and demonstrations are helping communities explore new agricultural practices suited to their context

As these efforts take root, families begin to see change. Crops diversify. Land is cared for more intentionally. Opportunities to generate income increase. Communities grow stronger together.

Looking Ahead

This partnership is still growing, and we are learning together along the way. What remains clear is that lasting change happens through relationships, shared knowledge, and a commitment to walk alongside one another.

Rooted in the love of Christ, this work is about restoration, of land, of livelihoods, and of hope.

As Compassion continues to walk with children and families, and as ECHO continues to come alongside those working the land, we trust that God will multiply what is planted.

One seed at a time. 

Give today, and be a part of what God is growing!

Cultivating Better MEAL Systems: Insights from a Global Gathering

How do organizations know if their work is truly helping communities thrive?

For nonprofits working in agriculture, food security, and community development, answering that question matters deeply. Programs may reach many people, but understanding what is actually working and how communities experience change requires thoughtful reflection.

In the development world, this process is called MEAL, which stands for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning. At its best, MEAL helps organizations move beyond simply reporting numbers. It supports learning, stronger relationships with communities, and wiser decisions for the future. 

In July 2025, practitioners, researchers, and nonprofit leaders gathered at the ECHO Asia Impact Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the Global Holistic MEAL Symposium. Over three days, participants explored how organizations can measure meaningful change while honoring the voices and experiences of the communities they serve. 

Those conversations have now been captured in the white paper:

“Cultivating Our MEAL Systems: Insights from the 2025 Global Holistic MEAL Symposium.”

Why MEAL Matters: Stewardship and Celebration

At ECHO, MEAL is closely connected to the idea of stewardship.

Are we the best stewards of the resources entrusted to us? Organizations rarely question the importance of financial accountability. In the same way, reflecting carefully on programs helps ensure that time, funding, and relationships are used wisely.

Strong monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems help organizations examine their work, learn from experience, and continually improve. 

But MEAL is not only about accountability.

It is also about celebration.

When organizations pause to observe outcomes and listen to the stories emerging from communities, they gain a clearer picture of how their work is contributing to these changes. These moments allow teams and partners to recognize transformation and give glory back to God. 

Through thoughtful MEAL practices, organizations can illuminate the outcomes of their work and more clearly see what God is doing through many people working together. 

Four Priorities for Stronger MEAL Systems

The symposium explored what this kind of faithful stewardship can look like in practice. Participants identified four priorities that can help organizations build stronger, more holistic MEAL systems.  

Making Learning Part of the Organization

Effective MEAL systems are not simply reporting tools. They are most valuable when they are woven into an organization’s culture, strategy, and everyday work. 

When leadership treats learning as a core part of the mission, teams are more likely to reflect regularly, adapt programs based on evidence, and celebrate progress. The white paper also notes that strong learning systems require intentional investment, with many organizations recommending five to ten percent of program budgets be dedicated to monitoring and evaluation activities.  

Strengthening How We Measure Impact

Strong MEAL systems balance credible data with practical implementation. Symposium participants emphasized the importance of combining quantitative indicators with qualitative insights, ensuring that measurement captures both measurable change and the lived experiences of communities. 

Clear indicators, simplified metrics, and thoughtful data practices based on a foundational Theory of Change help organizations generate evidence that is both reliable and meaningful. 

Deepening Relationships with Communities and Partners

Holistic MEAL approaches view communities and donors as partners in learning rather than passive participants. 

This can include co-creating indicators with communities, sharing findings in accessible ways, and maintaining ongoing dialogue with funding partners. These practices strengthen trust while ensuring that programs reflect the priorities and knowledge of those most closely connected to the work. 

Building Systems That Last

Finally, resilient MEAL systems must be able to withstand challenges such as staff transitions, funding changes, or unexpected crises. 

Organizations can strengthen resilience by preserving institutional knowledge, developing shared tools and processes, and building partnerships across organizations and sectors. These practices help ensure that learning continues even during times of disruption.

Looking Ahead

The white paper represents a collaborative effort among practitioners, researchers, and development organizations who participated in the symposium. Together they explored how organizations can strengthen learning systems while honoring the dignity and knowledge of the communities involved. 

Across the ECHO network and beyond, this conversation continues. Thoughtful measurement and learning help organizations strengthen programs, deepen partnerships, and support communities working toward healthier and more resilient futures. 

To explore the insights from the symposium: 

Click here to download the white paper.
Click here to download the Summary for Executives.

Creation Care, Agroecology, and the Heart of ECHO

Across much of the world, hunger is not caused by a lack of land or effort. It is often the result of land that has been exhausted, soils stripped of life, and farming systems that no longer serve the people who depend on them. For ECHO, caring for creation is not a secondary concern or a modern trend. It sits at the very center of how we understand food security, faith, and faithfulness. 

Creation Care begins with a simple conviction. God’s creation is not merely a resource to be used, but a gift to be tended. When land is cared for well, it nourishes families, strengthens communities, and endures through changing climates. When land is degraded, the consequences are felt first by small scale farmers and their families. 

Stewardship, not ownership

Scripture reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1).  This truth shapes how ECHO approaches agriculture. Farmers are not owners in an ultimate sense. They are stewards, entrusted with soil, seed, water, and knowledge that must serve both present and future generations.

Stewardship asks different questions than extractive agriculture. Instead of asking how much can be taken, it asks how life can be sustained. Instead of prioritizing short-term yield, it considers long-term resilience. It recognizes that human wellbeing and ecological health are deeply connected.

Faith and Farming in West Africa

This January, ECHO West Africa hosted a Faith and Farming gathering that brought together 70 participants from more than 12 countries. Farmers, church leaders, and practitioners gathered not only to discuss agricultural techniques, but to reflect on Scripture and consider what it means to care for land as an act of obedience. 

During a session entitled “Agroecology and Faith,” Dr. Abram Bicksler, President and CEO of ECHO presented the contents of this training and offered a definition that resonated deeply with those in attendance:

"Agroecology applies ecological concepts and principles to create and maintain sustainable food systems while always considering social aspects to make them sustainable and fair. Agroecology is rooted in social and food contexts. It also gives attention to human and social values and rights. It adds dignity because it sees farmers as contributors."

Dr. Abram Bicksler, President and CEO of ECHO

In the room that day, agroecology was not presented as a trend or ideology. It was described as a way of aligning farming with God’s design. Participants reflected on social health, seed stewardship, and community responsibility not merely as technical concerns, but as expressions of love for neighbor and faithfulness to our Creator.

Dr. Bicksler also captured this connection simply: “Agriculture is so powerful because it is a way to love our neighbors, it’s a way to care for creation, and it’s a way to build the church.”

Those words echo what ECHO has witnessed for decades. When soil is restored, families are nourished. When farming systems become more resilient, communities gain stability. When churches understand their role in stewarding land, their witness deepens in tangible ways.

What we mean by Agroecology

ECHO uses the word agroecology to describe farming that works with natural systems rather than against them. It values diversity instead of monoculture, living soil instead of chemical dependence, and local knowledge alongside scientific insight.

At its heart, agroecology reflects Creation Care in action. Soil is rebuilt with composting and mulching. Trees and crops are integrated for stability and nourishment. Seeds are saved and shared. Water is captured and conserved.

These practices require observation, patience, and humility. For farmers facing unpredictable rainfall, rising temperature, and declining soil fertility, such approaches offer a pathway toward resilience rooted in stewardship rather than short term extraction. 

Creation Care and Food Security belong together

Food security is not only about producing more food. It is about producing food in ways that last. When soil erodes, harvests fail. When biodiversity disappears, crops become vulnerable, When farming systems break down, families bear the cost.

By encouraging agricultural approaches that acre for soil, water, plant diversity, and community wellbeing, ECHO and its global network address hunger at its roots. Creation Care strengthens a farmer’s ability to feed their family today while protecting the land that will feed their children tomorrow. It also helps communities adapt to climate pressures without undermining their long-term stability. 

ECHO’s network spans regions, cultures, and climates, yet it is united by a shared commitment to walk alongside farmers as they care for the land God has entrusted to them. Through your partnership, farmers, churches, and local organizations continue pursuing agricultural practices that restore soil, sustain families, and reflect God’s care for creation.

As hunger and climate challenges grow more complex, the call to stewards creation with wisdom and humility becomes even more urgent. Together, we can continue nurturing land that feeds people, honors God, and holds hope for generations to come. 

Join us in restoring land, strengthening communities, and reflecting God’s care for creation at https://echonet.org/give/.

Building a Community Seed Bank in Myanmar

From Training to Transformation

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel in early 2020, Tone Ma Lay from Myanmar found herself unexpectedly grounded in Thailand. What was meant to be a two-month internship at the ECHO Asia Impact Center quickly turned into a four-month stay when borders closed.

Rather than returning home early, Tone Ma Lay embraced the opportunity. She immersed herself in seed saving and seed banking training and expanded her learning into other areas of sustainable agriculture. During her time at ECHO Asia, she studied integrated pest management, biochar, and community development, while observing how ECHO equips partners to share knowledge that lasts.

Reflecting on that season, she shared,

“I am very satisfied and very happy with the internship.”

Tone Ma Lay working in the garden at ECHO Asia Impact Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Returning Home to Growing Challenges

When Tone Ma Lay eventually returned to her community in Myanmar, she found that the pandemic had deepened existing challenges. Farmers were becoming increasingly dependent on expensive chemical outputs, and local crop diversity was declining. Many traditional seed varieties were being lost.

Remembering what she learned at ECHO Asia, Tone Ma Lay began gathering neighbors to share simple but powerful ideas. She explained why saving seed matters, demonstrated how to clean and store seeds properly, and encouraged others to share their own knowledge and experiences.

Soon after, the community organized a seed swap. Families brought seeds that they had saved at home and exchanged with one another. The response was clear: People cared deeply about preserving their seed heritage, and they needed a shared structure to support that goal.

Tone Ma Lay providing a training in her community in Myanmar.

From Knowledge to Action

Building on that momentum, Tone Ma Lay helped lead a community effort to establish a local seed bank using practical steps she had learned at ECHO.

Together, the community identified key local crops that were important for food security and culture. They created affordable storage solutions using locally available materials. They also began regular grow outs to test seed viability and adaptability before sharing seeds more widely.

Women and youth were invited to help manage the seed bank, ensuring that knowledge and responsibility were shared across generations.

As Tone Ma Lay reflected on this journey, she said,

“[I am] receiving many different blessings from God, and one of the biggest is attending the four months internship at ECHO Asia.”

Tone Ma Lay displays a harvest from her garden in Pyio Oo Lwin, Myanmar.

A Growing Impact

Today, the seed bank serves families in the community by providing access to diverse, locally adapted seeds, along with the skills to steward them well for the future.

In March 2025, ECHO Asia returned to Myanmar to provide additional training and encouragement, building on the strong foundation that Tone Ma Lay and her neighbors had already established.

Tone Ma Lay was originally sent to ECHO Asia by the List Baptist Convention Seminary in Myanmar, where she was studying. ECHO’s long-time partner, Professor Thaung Si, has been connected with this group since 2012 and helped encourage her journey. What began as an unexpected extension of training became a pivotal season that shaped not only Tone Ma Lay’s path, but also the future of her community.

Tone Ma Lay’s journey reflects the heart of ECHO’s mission. When practical knowledge is shared with care and faith, small seeds can grow into lasting hope. What started with one intern’s willingness to learn has multiplied into a community equipped to protect its seed heritage and strengthen its food security for generations to come. 

How a Community Seed Bank Took Root

When ECHO shares knowledge, it does not stop with one person. It multiples. Here are the key steps Tone Ma Lay and her community followed.

Identify local needs and key crops

The community recognized the urgent need to protect traditional seeds that were at risk of disappearing.

Design simple storage solutions

Using low-cost techniques learned at ECHO Asia, the team created storage methods suited to their local climate and resources.

Test and multiply seeds

Grow out trials helped ensure each seed variety was healthy and adaptable before being shared.

Engage the whole community

Families, women, and youth were invited to participate, building shared ownership and long-term sustainability.

Want to learn more about seed banking? Explore ECHO’s seed resources and training opportunities at ECHOcommunity.org.

Ready to partner with ECHO in this important work? Join us at echonet.org/give.

Virak’s Story: From Newcomer to National Influencer

 

When Virak first attended the ECHO Asia Conference in 2017, he arrived with no agricultural background, only a deep desire to serve his people on mission in Cambodia. He knew agriculture could be the key to strengthening rural communities, but he didn’t know where to begin.

ECHO became his starting point.

Just eight years later, Virak stood on the same stage as a keynote speaker, sharing how ECHO’s training, mentorship, and practical tools reshaped his calling and equipped him to transform lives.

Today, Virak and his family run Keat Farm, one of Cambodia’s most dynamic and diverse agricultural enterprises. What began as uncertainty has grown into a national model of innovation and impact:

  • 1,000 sheep grazing in the tropics
  • Free-range pigs and a 60-head hog operation using ECHO Asia’s on-farm feed techniques
  • Dairy production and agrotourism ventures
  • More than 60,000 people visiting the farm last year alone
  • Even the Prime Minister of Cambodia purchases their organic meat

Virak’s story is now known throughout Cambodia. He has become an online influencer recognized throughout the country, and he is preparing to launch an app that will connect farmers to markets. He believes that this tool can reach over one million people almost immediately.

Behind all this growth is a quiet truth he shared with us: The techniques he learned from ECHO did not stop with him.  He has multiplied them, sharing practical and life-giving knowledge with farmers and families across Cambodia.

This is the ECHO Effect.
 This is what your partnership and generosity makes possible.

When you support ECHO, you are not just training one person. You are strengthening the capacity of a leader who can reach an entire nation.

You can help more farmers discover practical solutions that change lives.
Will you come alongside leaders like Virak today? Support the reach of ECHO’s global network by giving at echonet.org/give. 

Seed Banking: Your Top Questions Answered

 

Access to locally appropriate seeds can mean the difference between hunger and harvest for families around the world. Through ECHO’s global network, seed systems are being strengthened to protect biodiversity, improve food security, and help communities grow their resilience. 

Seed banking and seed saving have long been part of ECHO’s ministry. Across climates and cultures, our teams study, test, and refine these methods to help small-scale farmers access reliable, locally adapted seed. Below are some of the most common questions we receive about seed banks and how they help communities flourish. 

What is a seed bank?

A seed bank is a place where seeds or other plant material are stored for future use. It serves farmers, gardeners, crop breeders, and researchers who want to conserve valuable plant varieties. 

Seed banks can vary widely. Some store small quantities of many species to preserve diversity, while others hold larger quantities of a few important crops. Depending on local resources, they may range from high-tech cold storage facilities to simple, community-built structures made with local materials.

 

Why does ECHO focus on community seed banking?

Community seed banks are locally managed seed systems that help farmers conserve, multiply, and share important plant varieties suited to their own environments. 

ECHO focuses on strengthening these systems because they offer practical solutions to several global challenges. As many countries tighten seed movement across borders, communities need reliable local seed sources. By investing in community-led seed systems, ECHO helps ensure that farmers can: 

  • Respond quickly after crises such as droughts or floods.

  • Preserve traditional and regionally adapted crops.

  • Strengthen community self-reliance and reduce dependence on outside suppliers.

This work connects directly with ECHO’s Global Goal #3: Advancing Global Seed Banking, which supports local biodiversity and food security worldwide. 

 

What does a community need to start a seed bank?

Every successful community seed bank begins with collaboration, commitment, and shared purpose. From there, several key elements help ensure success: 

  • Local leadership and community recognition. 

  • Funding for materials, training, and storage facilities. 

  • Infrastructure suited for seed storage such as underground cisterns, earthbag structures, or cool rooms. 

  • Training in seed saving, purity maintenance, germination testing, and recordkeeping. 

  • A system for tracking seed lots and performance data. 

  • Proper containers and moisture-control tools such as desiccants or vacuum sealing. 

  • Agreed distribution and regeneration methods to keep the seed system active and sustainable. 

With these building blocks, communities can safeguard their seed diversity for future generations. 

 

What are the key functions of a community seed bank?

A healthy seed bank is more than a storage space. It is a center for knowledge sharing, cooperation, and resilience building. Common functions include: 

  • Preserving local and indigenous seed varieties. 

  • Managing, storing, testing, and distributing seed collections. 

  • Coordinating seed fairs and exchanges to promote diversity. 

  • Providing seed relief after disasters or crop loss. 

  • Supporting cooperation and peacebuilding through shared stewardship of resources. 

Some seed banks also maintain other planting materials, such as sweet potato cuttings, banana pups, or chaya stems, ensuring farmers have access to a range of crops that meet both food and nutrition needs. 

Do farmers have to pay for seeds from ECHO’s seed banks?

ECHO provides ten free variety trial seed packets each year to individuals or organizations working with small-scale farmers. Each packet contains enough seed to plant a 30-foot row of a crop. Additional seed, along with documents that prove seeds are safe and pest free (phytosanitary certificates) for countries that require them, can be purchased through ECHO’s seed banks. 

Farmers and organizations can visit ECHOcommunity.org to request seed and connect with their nearest Regional Impact Center for guidance and support. 

 

How are seeds stored for long periods in harsh climates?

Seeds are living organisms that require careful handling to stay viable. At ECHO, seeds are dried thoroughly to reduce moisture and pest risk. They are then sealed in airtight containers with desiccants and stored in cool environments. 

Every six to twelve months, ECHO teams test small samples from each seed lot to check germination rates. If the rate falls below acceptable levels, staff review storage conditions and regenerate the seed through new plantings to keep the collection strong and healthy. 

 

How can my donation support ECHO’s seed banks?

Your support helps ECHO share thousands of seed packets each year with global partners and farmers in need. Each packet represents more than seed—it represents food, opportunity, and hope. 

Through your generosity, families can grow nutritious crops, preserve their local seed heritage, and pass abundance on to others in their communities. 

 

Want to learn more about seed banking? Explore ECHO’s seed resources and training opportunities at ECHOcommunity.org. 

Ready to partner with ECHO in this important work? Join us at echonet.org/give.

Growing Beyond Free Seeds: The Importance of Community Seed Banks From Trial Packets to Local Food Security

What happens when development workers, farmers, and communities collaborate to save and share their most successful seeds? Food security takes root, independence grows, and resilience blossoms for generations.

ECHO has been delivering free trial seed packets through its Regional Impact Centers (RICs) across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and beyond for decades. These packets help farmers test nutritionally rich crops that are climate resilient and culturally relevant to their local needs. But a single packet is often just the beginning.

As these crops succeed, communities take the next step by saving their own seeds and beginning to establish their own community seed banks, so the benefits multiply far beyond the trial phase.

What is a Community Seed Bank?

A community seed bank is a locally managed collection of seeds maintained by and for the community. Unlike commercial seed systems, these banks focus on preserving agricultural biodiversity, protecting Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS), and ensuring smallholder farmers have dependable access to high-quality seeds adapted to their environment.

Community seed banks:

  • Preserve traditional and local seed varieties vital to the community’s culture and diet
  • Reduce dependency on buying seeds from outside suppliers
  • Help crops withstand climate shocks and changing weather patterns
  • Put seed decisions back into farmers’ hands
  • Keep seeds accessible to everyone, including the most vulnerable

Why They Matter Now More Than Ever

Community seed banks close that gap in regions where commercial seed systems can’t or won’t serve smallholder farmers. Because the seeds are often saved from the best-performing local crops, they are better suited to the conditions farmers face—drought in East Africa, flooding in Southeast Asia, or poor soils in Central America.

Seed Banks at ECHO’s Regional Impact Centers include:

  • East Africa: What started in 2014 with just two dozen seed samples is now 816 accessions, distributing over 30,000 packets in ten countries from 2022 to 2024. Many banks are run by women graduates of ECHO’s Seed Bank Manager Trainings—women who now lead local networks, multiplying both seeds and impact.
  • West Africa: ECHO’s community seed bank (banque de semences communautaire) was established in 2024. It preserves and multiplies farmer-managed seeds such as maize, okra, millet, and sorghum. By the end of 2025, 30 varieties will have been cataloged, contributed by farmers who save and share seeds from their harvests. Traditional practices of storing seeds in granaries, jars, or barrels, often with ash or neem leaves for protection, are strengthened through ECHO’s trainings, cleaning, trial plantings, and multiplication efforts. As producers learn to establish their own seed banks, local biodiversity and resilience will grow across the region.
  • Asia: Since 2009, ECHO Asia’s seed bank has grown from 170 initial samples to more than 500 accessions. Farmers from Laos to Myanmar now plant crops once nearly forgotten—restoring biodiversity and strengthening nutrition one harvest at a time.
  • Central America & the Caribbean: Community Seed Banks (known in CAC as “seed reservoir/reservorio de semillas” or “seed house/casa de semillas”) preserve Indigenous and peasant varieties that might otherwise disappear due to restrictive seed laws or overreliance on imported hybrids.
  • North America: The Global Seed Bank at ECHO Florida supplies the Free Trial Seeds program and conducts variety trials, sharing results with practitioners worldwide, often as far as Timor Leste in the South Pacific!

A Story of Multiplication: Amaranth in Guatemala

Sometimes, a seed bank’s legacy can be measured in decades. In 2001, Tara Cahill of the Cloud Forest Conservation Community in Guatemala took home a small packet of Mexican Grain Amaranth from ECHO’s seed bank in Florida. She planted it in Alta Verapaz for use in school and family gardens.

Twenty-four years later, Tara is still planting, multiplying, and sharing those same seeds. Amaranth, a nutrient-rich ancient grain, now grows in fields and gardens across the region—supporting healthier diets, better soils, and stronger communities.

“I have been planting, multiplying, and enjoying them for twenty-four years straight,” Tara says. 

This is a true testament to the enduring power of a single shared seed.

From Free Seeds to Seed Sovereignty

ECHO’s Free Trial Seeds program often sparks the creation of community seed banks—but it doesn’t stop there. We also:

  • Provide hands-on training for seed bank managers in harvesting, cleaning, and storing seed for long-term viability.
  • For nearly 10 years, we have facilitated opportunities for active seed bank managers to gather to share practical experiences, discuss operations challenges, and discuss strategies for consolidation and support.
  • Share low-cost storage innovations, like the bicycle-powered vacuum seed dryer in Thailand.
  • Produce multilingual training videos and books, such as Community Seed Bank Options, to guide others in starting their own local seed systems.

These initiatives ensure farmers aren’t just recipients of seeds; they become stewards, trainers, and innovators in their own right.

Ready to Start or Support a Community Seed Bank?

Visit ECHOcommunity.org for free resources on:

  • Seed-saving techniques for tropical and challenging climates
  • Guides for establishing a community seed bank
  • Best practices for storing seeds where pests, heat, and humidity are challenges

Helping Communities Own Their Futures

When communities own their seed systems, they own their future. What begins with a handful of seeds, shared freely, can grow into a lasting source of health, resilience, and hope for generations.

Measuring What Matters: Global MEAL Symposium Sparks Collaboration and Innovation

On July 7–9, ECHO Asia’s Impact Center in Chiang Mai became a vibrant hub for collaboration and learning as leaders from 16 organizations, from grassroots NGOs to top research teams, gathered for the Global Holistic MEAL Symposium. Their shared goal was to explore how Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) can help drive holistic development across communities.

“This event showed the power of ECHO as a convening organization,” reflected Gerrianne, ECHO’s new MEAL lead. “We’re not just collecting data, we’re building trust, sharing lessons, and multiplying impact.”

A Space for Shared Learning

The symposium started with a lively “World Café” where participants shared their MEAL journeys, including the challenges, successes, and lessons learned. Case studies spotlighted practical tools, from qualitative partner assessments to FAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), and innovative data models to track change over time. A key theme rang clear: strong MEAL practices let organizations focus on what truly makes a difference in people’s lives, fostering shared growth and community impact.

One attendee summed it up:
“I feel less alone now. No matter our organization’s size, we share the same challenges.”

Co-Creating Solutions

Day two moved to a collaborative charrette, with teams tackling urgent MEAL priorities: defining the right metrics, ensuring data quality, and designing actionable implementation. The session generated real-world strategies and best practices to be shared in an upcoming ECHO white paper, reflecting vibrant collective innovation.

Trust-Based Philanthropy: A Convergence of Trust, Stories, and Impact

On the final morning, a panel on trust-based philanthropy highlighted how stories, statistics, and organizational trust go hand in hand. The discussion featured Scott Sabin, President of Plant With Purpose, who shared how his organization grew from tracking impact for five families in the Dominican Republic to comprehensive evaluations across all families served. It was a shift that revealed fuller stories of success and opportunity.

“Without knowing how we’re doing, we can’t do anything with confidence,” Sabin explained. “While MEAL is sometimes viewed as optional, it’s actually the compass that guides our organization.” Plant With Purpose’s commitment to meaningful impact measurement propelled growth from $5M in revenue in 2020 to $14M in 2025, a change Sabin attributes to major donors prioritizing measurable results.

Participants reflected on key takeaways, identified barriers to implementing trust-based philanthropy, and committed to action steps in their own contexts.

The event closed with a farewell dinner on the banks of the Ping River, a fitting end to three days of connection, reflection, and vision-casting.

Why Collaboration Matters

Beyond the workshops and panels, the symposium deepened a spirit of belonging and encouragement. One participant shared:

“This was a fruitful time of learning. It’s challenged us to keep revising and improving our MEAL program.”

For Gerrianne, the experience confirmed:
“We can learn from the mistakes and replicate the successes of brilliant organizations around the table and begin this journey filled with motivation and inspiration.”

Looking Ahead

The conversations and connections sparked in Chiang Mai will continue through the release of the symposium whitepaper, future training opportunities, and ongoing collaboration across the network.

At ECHO, we believe measuring what matters is more than collecting data. It’s about listening, learning, and walking alongside communities to co-create lasting change.

Interested in learning more? Visit ECHOcommunity.org for access to resources, new research, and upcoming event announcements.

From Hard Soil to Hope: Inside ECHO’s West Africa Impact Center

West Africa carries some of the world’s heaviest burdens of rural poverty and food insecurity. In that challenge, ECHO’s West Africa Impact Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, has become a beacon quietly equipping those who serve smallholder farmers with practical, low-cost options that restore land, strengthen harvests, and open doors for holistic ministry. 

Through resource centers, on-farm demonstrations, and hands-on training, thousands of farmers, development workers, and church partners across the region are learning sustainable practices that improve food security and family livelihoods.

What does that look like on the ground? Meet Adama Boro. He joined an ECHO sustainable agriculture training in March 2024 and returned home determined to try what he’d learned about improved planting methods and biofertilizers suited to his context. When his 2025 corn harvest came in, it was so abundant that neighbors whispered about witchcraft. Adama knew better. The increase came from better stewardship of the soil, and it gave him an unexpected opening to talk about hope, change, and the truth of the Gospel.

“I have never had such a production before,” he says. “With ECHO’s techniques, we can make an agricultural revolution in Burkina.” 

Training participants across the region are discovering that even in harsh conditions, crops can thrive when conservation-focused methods like those taught in Foundations for Farming protect soil, conserve moisture, and manage fields with care. Improvements stack over time: healthier soil, steadier yields, and more margin for families living close to hunger.

And hunger remains a pressing reality. An estimated 58% of Africa’s population, roughly 300 million people, faces moderate to severe food insecurity. Every improved field matters.

Robert Sanou, founding director of ECHO West Africa, is guiding this long-term effort. Based in Burkina Faso, Robert has spent more than a decade building the Center and previously led the multi-sectoral development organization ACCEDES for 15+ years. With advanced degrees in project management and law, fluency in French and English, and extensive regional consulting experience, he brings a deep commitment to empowering communities across West Africa.

Want to learn what’s working? ECHO regularly shares West Africa field updates, practical “how-to” resources (in French & English), training opportunities, and stories like Adama’s that you can apply in the places you serve. Learn more and stay connected on ECHOCommunity.org and sign up for ECHO News to receive the latest tools and updates on our work ending hunger around the world.