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Sovereignty and Globalisation: the Case of Seed Sovereignty in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Sovereignty and Globalisation: the Case of Seed Sovereignty in Sub-Saharan Africa Sovereignty and Globalisation: The Case of Seed Sovereignty in Sub-Saharan Africa Clare O’Grady Walshe, B.Soc.Sc, MA Presented for the qualification of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Law and Government Dublin City University Supervisor: Professor Robert Elgie External Examiner: Dr Edward Lahiff (University College Cork) January 2018 i ii Declaration I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of PhD is entirely my own work, and that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge breach any law of copyright, and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: (Candidate) ID No: 12210353 Date: iii Acknowledgements Firstly I would like to thank the School of Law and Government in Dublin City University for the financial support to do this thesis. Thanks especially to Professor Gary Murphy Head of School for his kindness and support throughout the years, and to so many members of staff who have helped and stimulated me during my time at DCU. To my colleagues in the postgraduate research rooms over the years, thank you for your friendship and solidarity. My deepest gratitude goes to Professor Robert Elgie, for his excellent supervision. I am so grateful for his unrelenting patience, respect and professionalism. It was a pleasure and an absolute privilege to work with him. He consistently assisted me in bringing the best academic rigour to this work and his commitment and unwavering support has meant so much to me. I am especially grateful to Anita Hayes, who literally sowed the seeds for this PhD through her inspirational work as the founder of the Irish Seed Savers Association and introduced me to this important area of enquiry and to a wonderful team of people there. She and her husband Tommy have encouraged me every step of the way. To Dr. Kathy Glavanis Grantham, thank you for your enduring friendship and support over all the years since my earlier days at UCC, for your generosity in introducing me to so many wonderful Ethiopian academics, who assisted me during my fieldwork, especially at Mekelle University, and in Addis. Huge thanks to all the people who helped me in Kenya and Ethiopia. To my wonderful friends, Mary and Gary, I give special thanks. You opened every door for me and shared your lovely home with me in Ethiopia. It hugely enriched my work. Thanks to so many people at the various agencies and NGOs who generously gave of their time. I am especially grateful to the Gaia Foundation for introducing me to Dr Melaku Worede, who is not simply a teacher. He is rightly regarded as ‘A School’. Together with Regassa Feyissa and Dr Sue Edwards they introduced me to the rich and diverse agrarian world of Ethiopia. Thank you all for your time and invaluable help. Thank you to Dr Fetien Abay at Mekelle University for her time and her introduction to her barley research programme in the Highlands. You generously provided me with transport and to Solomon who translated for me in the fields with the farming communities in Tigray. My special thanks to all the wonderful people of iv the communities who welcomed me into their homes and co-operatives in Oromia and Tigray. Special thanks to Astefu and Havenish for a most memorable visit to Habes. To the wonderful people of various NGOs who helped me along the way, especially Patricia Wall and all the team at Trócaire and to the team at Self Help Africa in Ethiopia, who provided me with so much help and information, I am indebted to you all. Thanks to Brian Daly who introduced me to his many colleagues at Diageo and for all their assistance. Thanks to my friends, Joe Murray of Afri and Richard Moore of Children in Crossfire for all your support. Your introductions ensured that I was well looked after in Nairobi by Sean Cremin and PJ McCamphill of St Patricks Mission, and by Gebremichael Ghembera of Children in Crossfire in Ethiopia who became my guide, translator, and trusted friend. I owe special thanks to Daniel Maingi of Kefra for so much assistance and insights and to all of the Kenyan parliamentarians for your openness and hospitality at the Kenyan Parliament. Special thanks to the true strategic alliance that was the team of friends who took over the care of our precious children during my fieldtrips to Africa - Maryrose, Breda, Patricia, Moira, Sheelagh and Fionnuala and my dear sister Joan (who even left Cork to live in my house!). I am forever indebted to you all and to all my dear friends who have encouraged me along the way, with a special word for Dervla Murphy who has been a constant source of inspiration and support to me. Special thanks to my beloved siblings, Helen, Joan and Edward for ‘everything’ and to Mum and Jim for encouraging me over that elusive finish line. Lastly, I offer my thanks to my own little family. My darling children, Caoimhe and John, you know that you are both the light of my life. Thanks for all the encouraging hugs, the cupcakes, the welcome distractions and the comic relief. To my beloved husband, Peter, thank you for supporting me the whole way through in so many ways, at so many levels, which enabled me to bring this work to completion. v Contents Declaration ................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. x List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... xiv List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... xiv Abstract .................................................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review: The Domestic State and Globalisation .................................... 11 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 11 2.2. Globalisation.................................................................................................................. 13 2.3. Globalisation and Sovereignty ...................................................................................... 17 2.3.1. Hyperglobalists ....................................................................................................... 19 2.3.2. Sceptics ................................................................................................................... 27 2.3.3. Transformationalists ............................................................................................... 35 2.4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 3: Seed Sovereignty and Globalisation ...................................................................... 46 3.1. From food security to seed sovereignty ....................................................................... 46 3.1.1. Food Security and food sovereignty ....................................................................... 46 3.1.2. Seed Security and Seed Sovereignty ...................................................................... 54 3.2. Trehreats to Seed Sovereignty ...................................................................................... 65 3.2.1. Threat 1: Climate Change ....................................................................................... 65 3.2.2. Threat 2: Conflict and Displacement ...................................................................... 66 3.2.3. Threat 3: Changes in Farming Practices: ................................................................ 67 3.2.4. Threat 4: Recent technological Changes: ............................................................... 68 3.2.5. Threat 5: TNCs ........................................................................................................ 70 vi 3.2.6. Threat 6: Legal threats to Seed Sovereignty .......................................................... 72 3.2.7. Threat 7: Tied aid and philanthrocapitalism .......................................................... 74 3.3. Globalisation and Seed Sovereignty and Security ......................................................... 75 3.3.1. Hyperglobalists ....................................................................................................... 78 3.3.2. Sceptics ................................................................................................................... 87 3.3.3. The Transformationalists ........................................................................................ 94 3.4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 99 Chapter 4: Research Design ................................................................................................... 100 4.1. Introduction
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