When Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica in October 2025, the Category 5 hurricane caused catastrophic winds, brought about heavy rainfall and resulted in widespread flooding, all of which severely damaged agricultural production on the island. Since the crops had been destroyed and the farmers were engaged in rebuilding efforts, access to good vegetable seed became a major concern during Jamaica's recovery.
High Mowing Organic Seeds from Wolcott, Vermont, agreed to donate vegetable seeds in order to assist organic farmers who had been affected by the hurricane. The company started working with Nicola Shirley-Phillips of the Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement Limited (JOAM) to arrange the donation. Yet there were substantial logistical, regulatory and seed-testing difficulties between the donated seeds and the farmers who needed them.
That is when the Iowa State University (ISU) Seed Science Center (SSC) stepped in to help.
Protecting agriculture while responding to an urgent need
Even though the seeds were meant for humanitarian recovery, the Plant Quarantine and Plant Inspection authorities in Jamaica couldn't just overlook the country's phytosanitary requirements since their role was to guard Jamaican agriculture against crop diseases and pests which might be brought in through imported seed.
Seed health testing was therefore important. It would confirm that the donated seed complied with Jamaica's import requirements and did not present an unacceptable risk to the country's crops or environment.
It was made evident during two virtual meetings with the Jamaican partners, High Mowing Organic Seeds and the ISU-SSC that the cost and availability of seed health testing would prevent the donation from going ahead.
The Jamaican organizers were working with limited resources and therefore had to consider the costs of testing, phytosanitary certification and international shipping. Dr. Charles Block, who is the manager of the SSC Seed Health Lab, took part in one of the meetings and helped find a solution: the Center would carry out all the necessary testing for the first shipment free of charge as an in-kind contribution to Jamaica's recovery.
“We were in a position to help our fellow humans get back on their feet,” Block said. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
Seeds reach Jamaican farmers
The shipment reached Jamaica after the necessary import documents had been tested and completed, and it passed airport customs by the end of June. The seeds that were donated consisted of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, melons and watermelons.
The seeds will not only help organic farmers to rebuild their operations but will also be used for field testing as part of the JENESYS Project; by assisting farmers to get back into production, the donation may help to improve local food supplies, restore agricultural livelihoods and contribute to Jamaica's long-term food security objectives.
Shirley-Phillips and Janice Duhaney, Chair of the JOAM Board, stated in their message of thanks that the donation could not have been made without the help of Iowa State University.
“We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation for your sterling contribution to the process of importing organic seeds that will help support the post-Hurricane Melissa recovery program for the organic sector, in addition to the field tests under the JENESYS Project,” they wrote.
They also gave the Seed Science Center the credit for carrying out all of the testing required by Jamaica’s Plant Quarantine and Plant Inspection authorities without charging for it.
“We believe that we now have a better understanding of the process for importing organic seeds and would like to have further discussions with Iowa State and PQPI, in particular, to strengthen our collaboration, build capacity within the organic sector and increase our food security in a sustainable way,” they added.
Laboratory expertise with a global impact
This partnership shows how the specialized laboratory skills available in Ames, Iowa can have a real effect even though it is thousands of miles away. Because of the Seed Science Center's testing facilities, the donated seeds were able to meet Jamaica's phytosanitary requirements and reach farmers, all without imposing any extra financial cost on organizations already working with limited recovery funds.
Even though the testing was only one element of a much bigger recovery operation, it was an essential one. The Seed Science Center laboratory was in a unique position to carry out the specialized testing required to advance the donation.
This project also aligns with the Center's wider aim of improving seed quality, enhancing food security and facilitating the safe transfer of seed through education, research, testing and international cooperation. The kind of partnerships involved link together seed companies, regulators, laboratories and agricultural organizations in such a way as to safeguard plant health while at the same time increasing farmers' access to reliable seed.
For Jamaican farmers who are recovering from Hurricane Melissa, the shipment stands for more than just tomatoes, peppers, cabbage or cucumbers; each packet of seed offers the chance of a renewed harvest, the recovery of income and a more robust, resilient food system.