Who we are
The LinKS project is a regional effort in Southern Africa aimed at raising awareness about how rural men and women use and manage biological diversity.
The project is called LinKS, because it is exploring the linkages between the crucial issues of local knowledge systems, gender roles and relationships, food provision, and the conservation and management of agrobiodiversity.
The project seeks to help development practitioners recognize that farmers have knowledge, practices and skills that are often highly sustainable and respectful of the natural ecosystems they depend on for their food and livelihoods. However it is important to understand in this context, that rural men and women have different knowledge about how to use and manage genetic resources that is derived from their different roles and responsibilities in the farming system. It is estimated, that up to 90% of the planting material used by poor farmers is derived from seeds and germplasm that they have produced, selected and saved themselves. This means that small farmers play a crucial role in the preservation and management of genetic resources and biodiversity.
The project works with a diverse range of local institutions - both governmental and non-governmental - to strengthen their ability to recognize and value this knowledge and to use gender-sensitive and participatory approaches in their work.
The Government of Norway provides funding for the project. The project was launched in 1998 and operated in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Activities in Swaziland began in 2000. The first phase of the project ended in March 2002. The second phase started early in April 2002 and will continue until end of June 2005.
The project is administered by FAO in Rome. Besides the hands-on field activities, LinKS plays an important role in collecting information from the project countries and feeding this information into the wider context of FAO’s work. FAO’s commitment and work on plant genetic resources, as well as the conservation and management of biodiversity and natural resources management are important opportunities where the project can contribute with lessons from the field, experiences and data bases.