From August 21 to 23, 2024, AFSA (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa) in collaboration with Plateforme Agroécologique Raya Karkara and SWISSAID Niger organized the 3rd edition of the Pan-African Conference on Seed Governance, in Niamey, Niger. The conference was funded around 80% by the CROPS4HD project.
Under the theme “Partnership between state and non-state actors for resilient seed systems in Africa”, regional institutions, government representatives, farmers’ organizations, researchers, NGOs, as well as youth and women’s representatives from 23 countries came together to discuss current and future challenges linked to peasant agriculture and resilient seed systems in Africa.
The discussions highlighted the fact that policies aimed at harmonizing regional seed legislation to facilitate trade and access to certified hybrid seeds have led to the marginalization of peasant seed systems, without guaranteeing equitable access to seeds for all farmers. What’s more, these policies have not led to food and nutritional security for all populations. With this in mind, discussions focused on the analysis of legislation and regulatory frameworks governing phylogenetic resources, as well as on the transitions needed to ensure greater respect for farmers’ rights and concerns.
At the end of the conference, a strategic plan was drawn up to strengthen farmers’ rights and peasant seed systems. This includes lobbying governments, involving farmers in advocacy work through awareness-raising campaigns, and integrating research to scientifically demonstrate the economic, agronomic, social and health benefits of peasant farming systems.
As a result, the participants decided to engage in an ongoing dialogue with local, national and regional public authorities to develop seed policies that are sensitive to farmers’ seeds, and to advocate at all levels against international trade instruments that privilege industrial seed systems to the detriment of farmers’ seed systems.
Participants also called on national governments and donors to fund support for regulations and policies favorable to the multiplication, sharing, exchange and sale of local farmers’ seeds.
In a televised interview broadcast on the occasion of the conference, Famara Diedhiou (West Africa Program Manager, AFSA) shared two key messages for those involved and concerned by farmer seed issues. On the one hand, addressing financial and technical partners, Famara Diedhiou stresses that it is essential to enable farmers to group together and share farmer seeds, for example in the context of building community seed banks, including by providing financial support. Finally, speaking to farming communities, Famara Diedhiou encourages them to have confidence in themselves, and in the value of farmers’ seeds.
You can find the full interview below (in French)