As a Puerto Rican woman and farmer, I have a passion for food sovereignty and Puerto Rico’s independence. It may be naive, but I believe a food sovereign Puerto Rico can be an independent Puerto Rico. In honor of Women’s History Month, I want to highlight a woman who is doing the work to strengthen the local food system on the island. Her name is Crystal Díaz, and she created an app that connects local farmers to restaurants and other consumers.

Tony Hall does not have the gloss or ego of a typical former senator.

Instead, he has the demeanor of a public servant: quiet, determined, and sometimes even shy. Hall, now 82 years old, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 2002. After he left Congress, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture until 2006. Ambassador Hall was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, 1999, and 2001 for his humanitarian efforts.