– by Theophilus Mudzindiko, National Coordinator, PELUM Zimbabwe
Two critical meetings take place in Harare this week. One made up of Africa’s political Leadership under the banner of the Twenty-Second Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP), that convened as a ‘pivotal moment in Africa’s agrifood systems transformation journey’.
The second, is here at the Harare Good Seed and Food festival, and National Farmers Dialogue, which brings together farmers, seed custodians, good food champions, market actors, researchers and progressive donors from across Zimbabwe and beyond, marking 15 years of realising transformation from the bottom up. This festival builds on hundreds of dialogues, seed fairs, learning exchanges and farmer-led agroecology schools that take place across the region every year. Together, these partnerships are the demonstration of what real ‘sustainable food systems transformation’ looks like.
Today’s event is also testament to growing global consciousness and demand for healthy traditional food – and the diverse seed and climate resilient agroecology systems that make it possible.
As the African Union CAADP meeting concludes, and our national Good Seed and Food Festival begins, we want to reiterate what farmers say: Agroecology works. The climate crisis is real. Seed is the foundation of life and its diversity is the greatest asset against the continuous climate disasters we face. We have no time to wait for policy action. Fund our agroecology now and support our diverse seed systems – don’t destroy them.
For the past week, farmers and young agroecology champions working with the Seed and Knowledge Initiative, have gathered in Harare and join the national dialogue today. A key concern is the ongoing pressure of multinational seed and agrochemical corporations, their powerful lobby unions and so-called investments partnerships, to influence Africa’s seed and agriculture legislation in their favour and further their market control. This is happening around the world – and both Zambia and Zimbabwe are threatened today. New proposed Plant Breeders Rights law in both counties align to the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV) 1991 Act – which criminalises farmers’ seed rights – and undermines the right to food and the right to livelihoods.
Farmers’ Rights are the practical expression of the diversity that we see here today at the Seed Festival – aligning to UPOV91 would destroy this.
In the words of the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri – “seeds are central to people’s cultures and food systems, and to control seeds is to control life”.
Our work has been made possible by progressive funders who have supported farmers’ vital practices to revive seed systems and restore diversity, spreading agroecology from field, to farm to whole resilient landscapes across our region. We honour these long standing partnerships that make farmers exchanges like this possible – and together, realise real transformation, climate adaptation, and the right to life. – We particularly thank the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, based here in Harare, who has walked this journey with us for over the decade.
To conclude, on behalf of farmers, diverse actors and partners across Southern Africa, I am happy to hand over Farmers and young agroecology champions who bring their own statement to the event today – and launch the new FREE OUR SEED campaign.
We welcome your voices and thank you very much.
