This was a high-level webinar focused on strengthening traditional seed systems and local food control. It brought together stakeholders such as farmers, civil society organizations, researchers, and policy actors to discuss how indigenous seed practices can support food sovereignty—defined as the right of communities to control their seeds, food systems, and agricultural choices . The discussion emphasized that traditional seeds are not only agricultural inputs but also carry cultural knowledge, resilience, and identity.
A central theme of the event was the role of indigenous seed systems in protecting biodiversity and building climate resilience. Participants highlighted that local seed varieties are often better adapted to specific environments and can evolve over time through farmer-led selection, helping maintain genetic diversity in crops. This is increasingly important as global agriculture faces threats from climate change, monoculture farming, and the spread of uniform commercial seeds, which can reduce biodiversity and increase dependency on external inputs . The webinar therefore positioned indigenous seed practices as a key pathway for sustainable and agroecological food systems.
The event also stressed the need for policy support, community empowerment, and knowledge sharing to scale indigenous seed practices. This includes strengthening farmer-managed seed systems, supporting seed exchange networks, and recognizing the rights of smallholder farmers—especially women—to save, use, and share seeds. Overall, the webinar framed indigenous seeds as essential to achieving food sovereignty, ecological sustainability, and resilient local economies, calling for coordinated action across communities, governments, and development partners.
Forthcoming:
- A landmark gathering bringing together farmers, policymakers, researchers, and seed advocates from across Eastern Africa to champion seed sovereignty and strengthen farmer-managed seed systems.
- Organised by the Catholic university of Eastern Africa, Nairobi
- four days of knowledge exchange, regional collaboration, and advancing policies that protect indigenous seed systems as the foundation of food security and climate resilience.
No comments:
Post a Comment