El Departamento de la Comida is reinvigorating Puerto Rico’s local food systems with a community-controlled seed supply—and deepening Boricua communities’ relationship to food and cultural identity.
Lex Barlowe (she/her) Facilitator, amateur archivist, and seed steward with El Departamento de la Comida. Lex’s roots are in climate and ecological justice organizing. She facilitates with the Wildfire Project and supports community wealth-building and cooperative projects in the solidarity economy movement at New Economy Coalition. Lex works towards seed sovereignty through seed libraries and education in New York and Puerto Rico.
Tara Rodríguez Besosa (she/they) Organizer, entrepreneur, and living resource within the sustainable food and agroecology movements. For the past decade with El Departamento de la Comida, they’ve increased access to local food economies, spotlighting the value of farmers within economic transitions from extractive to regenerative practices. Follow their work on social media at @eldepartamentodelafood and @bitchimmanolo.
