Around the world, economic and environmental pressures are growing for people working across the grain and legume value chain. Climate change is hurting cereal yields, baking qualities are declining, and operational costs are rising. But prices have barely moved.

At the same time, critical infrastructure—local mills, storage units, and small bakeries—is disappearing from rural areas, even as political leaders call for more support. The result is a fragile system controlled by powerful intermediaries and global supply chains, with little space for local decision-making or sustainable innovation.

In Germany, a group of artisan bakers and confectioners, progressive farmers, seed savers, cereal breeders, organic agriculture researchers, and food systems designers are working together to address this challenge. But their efforts go beyond advocacy and awareness. They are running hands-on research projects to explore how farms can adapt to a warming climate while protecting biodiversity and supporting local economies.

They are investing in local infrastructure by helping to bring back regional mills and bakeries, which are key to restoring local processing and distribution. They are supporting open-source seed development and sharing, so that farmers have access to diverse, locally adapted grain and legume varieties, strengthening resilience across the food system.

They are also engaging communities through education and public participation. Their goal is to help people reconnect with where their food comes from and to support more active involvement in shaping regional food economies.

They see their work as a call not just for mutual support, but for mutual empowerment through shared infrastructure, collaborative research, and new models of ownership and distribution.

ARTICLE: The Rise of a New Grain Alliance – Germany’s Free Bakers Sow the Seeds of Change

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