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Towards Strengthening Seed and Food Sovereignty

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PHOTO: MARK MATTSON MATTSON MARK PHOTO: Seed and Knowledge TOWARDS STRENGTHENING SEED AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY Building on past and on-going joint activities, a synergistic relationship between Biowatch South Africa, EarthLore Foundation and the NRF Bio-economy Research Chair at the University of Cape Town (UCT), has been galvanised into an exciting collaboration on seeds and local knowledge. The primary aim of the Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) is to revive and enhance traditional seed and knowledge systems and to deepen understanding about their functioning, within the context of supportive agricultural, cultural and ecological practices. The initiative’s long-term vision is to collaborate with communities, national and regional partners towards a future where small-holder farmers, and women in particular, are empowered to secure seed and food sovereignty on all levels. Research, documentation, and experiential learning will be on-going processes, vital in shifting worldviews and paradigms by interrogating and challenging current assumptions in policy making and science. PHOTO: MAX BASTARD, OXFAM, BIOWATCH SA PHOTOS: MUPO FOUNDATION PHOTO: BASTARD, MAX SA OXFAN, BIOWATCH PHOTO: BASTARD, MAX SA OXFAN, BIOWATCH ANAN INNOVATIVEINNOVATIVE CCOLLABORATIONOLLABORATION O ONN S SEEDEEDS AND AND KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE Traditional knowledge, seed and agricultural systems form part of complex social-ecological systems in infarming farming communities communities throughout throughout southern Southern Africa, Africa. where They they are notare notonly only vital vital for livelihoods, for livelihoods, but butalso also for humankind as a whole. Together they enhance food security, strengthen social cohesion and build climate change resilience. Such agricultural systems, however, have been eroded by decades of policies and laws that promote the theinterests interests of commercial of commercial farmers farmers and andmultinational multinational seed seed and and agro-chemical agro-chemical companies companies and and limit limit and and undermine the rights of small-scalesmall-holder farmers farmers and and communities. communities. While While industrial industrial agriculture agriculture produces produces only onlyaround about 30% 30% of the of theworld's world’s food, food, it is ita isleading a leading contributor contributor to climate to climate change change and and environmental environmental degradation through massive exports, use of fossil fuels, and its reliance on chemical inputs. Our vision, together with that of millions of farmers across the world, is for our food production systems to reviveto revive and and enhance enhance tried tried and and tested tested methods methods which which are are low-carbon low-carbon and and low-input low-input in nature;in nature; preserving andpreserving regenerating and regenerating resources rather resources than ratherdestroying than destroyingthem; and supporting them; and supportingsmall-scale small-scalefarming systems. farming Thissystems. movement This movement affirms affirmsand advocates and advocates that agroecology that agro-ecology and seed and diversity seed diversity cool the cool planet the andplanet create and a worldcreate wherea world agriculture where agriculture is productive is productive and sustainable and sustainable and where and seed where and seed food and systems food systemsare in the are hands in OBJECTIVES OF THE SEED AND KNOWLEDGE INITIATIVE ofthe local hands communities. of local communities. It is this world, It is thisbased world, on food based sovereignty, on food sovereignty, which embodies which ecologicalembodies ecologicalintegrity and socialsanity justice.and social This justice. is what This we iswant what to we support want tothrough support our through work. our work. sanity and social justice. This is what we want to support through our work. An 18-month pilot period initiates the Seed and Knowledge Initiative, which has four interrelated objectives, addressing the vision on multiple levels. The first priority of the project enables farmers and communities to revive and enhance traditional Reviving and enhancing seed and agricultural knowledge systems. This is complemented, among other activities, by training, farmer exchanges to enable horizontal learning, and knowledge exchange between communities traditional knowledgeknowledge systems and across borders in the region. Second, communities are supported to do their own research as they accompany the above processes and document the impact of change. Innovative tools such as eco-mapping, calendars and community research are used to support communities to revive, deepen and affirm their knowledge systems and ensure the intergenerational transfer of these knowledge systems. Our third objective is to interrogate some of the assumptions underlying the promotion of industrial agriculture and related seed monopoly laws as the solution for Africa. We are starting by investigating community seed systems, the interface between formal and informal seed systems, approaches towards agricultural innovation and research in South Africa, and policies impacting on these systems and farmers’ rights. The overall goal of the research is to bridge the gap between community realities and policies. Our fourth objective is to build a community of practice around seeds and knowledge in the region. Together, we will learn from each other and collaborate towards a network of communities building a more sustainable future and challenging the initiatives that undermine this future. PHOTO: MUPOEARTHLORE FOUNDATION FOUNDATION PHOTOS:PHOTOS: MAXMAX BASTARD,BASTARD, OXFAM,OXFAM, BIOWATCHBIOWATCH SASA PHOTO: MAX BASTARD, OXFAM, BIOWATCH SA PHOTOS: MUPO FOUNDATION A S H C T A W O I B , N A F X O , D R A T S A B X A M : O T O H P AN INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION ON SEEDS AND KNOWLEDGE Traditional knowledge, seed and agricultural systems form part of complex social-ecological systems in farming communities throughout southern Africa, where they are not only vital for livelihoods, but also for humankind as a whole. Together they enhance food security, strengthen social cohesion and build climate change resilience. Such agricultural systems, however, have been eroded by decades of policies and laws that promote the interests of commercial farmers and multinational seed and agro-chemical companies and limit and undermine the rights of small-scale farmers and communities. While industrial agriculture produces only around 30% of the world's food, it is a leading contributor to climate change and environmental degradation through massive exports, use of fossil fuels, and its reliance on chemical inputs. Our vision, together with that of millions of farmers across the world, is for our food production systems to revive and enhance tried and tested methods which are low-carbon and low-input in nature; preserving and regenerating resources rather than destroying them; and supporting small-scale farming systems. This movement affirms and advocates that agro-ecology and seed diversity cool the planet and create a world where agriculture is productive and sustainable and where seed and food systems are in OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES OF THE SEEDSEED ANDAND KNOKNOWLEDGEWLEDGE INITIA INITIATIVETIVE the hands of local communities. It is this world, based on food sovereignty, which embodies ecological sanity and social justice. This is what we want to support through our work. AnThe 18-month four year (2015-2018)pilot period initiatSeed andes the Knowledge Seed and InitiativeKnowledge (SKI) Initiativ has foure, which interrelated has four objectives, interrelated addressing objecand expandingtives, addr theessing vision the on vision multiple on multiple levels. levels. The first priorit objectivey of theof the pr ojecprojectt enables is to enable farmers farmers and communities and communities to reviv toe reviveand enhance and enhance traditional Reviving and enhancing seedtraditional and agricultural seed and agricultural knowledge knowledge systems. This systems. is complement This is complemented,ed, among other among activities other, by activities, training , farmerby training, exchanges farmer to exchanges enable horiz to enableontal learning horizontal, and learning, knowledge and eknowledgexchange bet exchangeween communities between traditional knowledge systems andcommunities across bor andders across in the bordersregion. in the region. SecondSecond,, communitiescommunity and are farmer suppor organisationsted to do their are own supported research in as building they acc theirompan regionaly the abov and e printernationalocesses and networks documen fort the deepening impact of and change affirming. Innov ativtheire toolsknowledge such as systems. eco-mapping Together, calendars these and community“communities resear of practice”ch are used will helpto suppor buildt acommunities more sustainable to reviv future,e, deepen and challenge and affirm the their initiatives knowledge that systundermineems and this ensur future.e the intergenerational transfer of these knowledge systems. Our third objective is ttoo intengageerroga nationallyte some of and the regionally assumptions with underlying key stakeholders the promotion and decision of industrial makers agriculturto advocatee and for policiesrelated seedand legislationmonopoly thatlaws actively as the solutionsupport ftheor Africa. revival W ofe artraditionale starting seed by diversity inandvestigating related knowledge communit systemsy seed syst or emsagroecology., the inter face between
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