Katrina Niesen, otherwise known as The Sourdough Mama, is a teacher-turned-professional baker who bakes sourdough loaves with intricate shapes and patterns. Her sourdough creations closely resemble different plants, flowers, and pollinating insects. Niesen’s unique and laborious craft reminds her viewers of the connections between food, plant life, and pollinating species. For example, her purple butterfly-shaped loaf brings to mind the delicate ecological balance shared between humans and nature, as without purple butterflies pollinating wheat, she would not have had flour to make her sourdough.
With the advent of climate change, The Sourdough Mama’s loaves call to mind how this delicate balance is being threatened. Her artworks show the intersectionality between global hunger issues and rampant extinction of many plant and pollinator species. They call for an equally holistic and comprehensive action from global stakeholders, as the death of one pollinating species will affect the world’s food supply. This is why The Sourdough Mama's work is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger and Life on Land.
75 percent of the world’s food crops rely on pollinating species such as bees, bats, and butterflies. A pollinator assessment by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity Services (IPBES) revealed that the annual global value of crops affected by pollinating species ranges up to USD 577 billion. This is because pollinators not only contribute to the cultivation of food crops, but also to the cultivation of biofuels (canola and palm oil), fibers (cotton), medicines, livestock forage and even construction materials. This is all further proof as to why the work that The Sourdough Mama does matters.
Niesen also shares detailed process videos and artistic scoring guides across online platforms. This allows her to inspire an audience of over 105 thousand to create their own nutritional loaves that carry powerful conservation messages for the world’s plant and pollinator species. At times, Niesen has also used her craft to advocate for the conservation of other endangered species. For Shark Week, the global week long celebrations dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the world’s shark species, Niesen created a loaf of bread with flowing waves with a cheeky 3D shark fin swimming across it.
Katrina Niesen, known as The Sourdough Mama, uses her baking skills to create stunning sourdough loaves that depict plants, flowers, and pollinating insects. These intricate designs not only showcase her artistic talents but also highlight the critical role of pollinators in our food systems. Through her creations, Niesen draws attention to the interconnectedness of food, plant life, and pollinators, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts. The Sourdough Mama fosters a community focused on sustainability and environmental awareness by sharing her process and inspiring others to bake with purpose.
Find out more about sourdough bread creations by The Sourdough Mama and their other initiatives by checking her Instagram @the.sourdough.mama.