In Africa, farmers’ seeds are the foundation of agricultural production and of diversified, healthy food systems across the continent. The Farmer-Managed Seed System (FMSS) is the dominant system for food crops and agrobiodiversity conservation for family farmers. They persist – and thrive – despite well-funded programs promoting corporate seed and the industrial food and agriculture regime they are part of, whilst receiving little or no support from public policies and frequently denigrated in the public narrative.
Seeds are synonymous with culture, tradition, spirituality, cooperation, solidarity and survival; they provide diversified, healthy foods to feed families every day, as well as a means of subsistence. Today’s seeds embody centuries of knowledge about how to save them, exchange them, plant them and guide them to fruitful expression. The rich diversity of Africa’s food crops is due to the diversity of its ecosystems and local farming communities, particularly women, the guardians of the seeds.
In its ongoing quest for food sovereignty, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), a member of the CROPS4HD consortium, is developing the positive narrative of so-called outdated peasant seed varieties outlawed by corporations.
It has published twenty-one case studies, gathered from nine African countries and India. From the most hostile environments of the Sahel (Niger) to equatorial wetlands (Gabon), saline soils (Tanzania) and oases (Tunisia), these studies show us how farmers’ varieties meet the nutritional and economic needs of populations in traditional, agroecological production systems.
In the Dosso region in Niger, seven case studies on the preferred varieties of seven vital crops in selected communities have identified peasant varieties that farmers are intimately familiar with, and for which they possess in-depth skills in cultivation, use, processing, storage and marketing. In many cases, these seeds form the backbone of the local economy and are essential to cultural identity and community respect. In all cases, they have outperformed improved varieties, because they have been adapted to the specific environment in which they are grown, and are likely to be further adapted due to their genetic diversity.
In Tanzania, six case studies focused on seed quality assurance using consistent protocols and criteria for farmers. The studies also highlighted the great diversity of seeds that a community develops, making its population autonomous (seed sovereign), healthy and economically strong thanks to the higher productivity and nutritional value of specific indigenous varieties of beans, maize or rice.
In conclusion, this collection of seed case studies opens our minds to the following points:
- Farmers have solid and varied protocols for setting seed quality standards.
- Farmers’ seed varieties are often more productive and nutritious than so-called improved varieties.
- Women farmers play a crucial role in selecting the seeds that define our food systems.
- Communities play a key role in preserving biodiversity and should be the first partners in gene banks, whether at local, national or international level.
These studies represent a valuable tool for CROPS4HD’s advocacy activities, as they are designed to provide policymakers with evidence to better support peasant seed systems. But they also aim to boost the confidence of farming communities in their knowledge, skills and practices when it comes to managing genetic diversity.
You can read these case studies here.