At a dialogue on farmer-managed seed systems and agroecology, held in Acornhoek, Limpopo on 20-22 January 2020, farmers and support organisations made clear that they want to see more government and policy support for agroecology and farmer-managed seed systems, that they will work together to engage government in this direction,...

Uncle Wiz is a shining example of a thriving smallscale farming and food distribution business that not only farms without chemicals but also focuses on and promotes indigenous food crops. Owners Wisdom and Mpumi Edward live in south Johannesburg and farm on land in Vanderbijlpark. Not only do they grow...

Engaging young women and men in an agricultural sector characterized by an ageing labour force is crucial to ensure sustainable food security, reduce youth unemployment and combat unplanned migration. By harnessing their innovative potential, utilizing new technologies and techniques and taking advantage of new opportunities in emerging value chains, young...

These Guidelines on Sustainable Rangeland Management in Sub-Saharan Africa come at a critical moment. Rangelands are under growing pressure from land degradation as well as crop and urban land expansion, among other threats. Moreover, the capacity of rangelands to sustainably supply markets will be tested over the coming decade as the global and regional demand for...

The Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN) training facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought experts from FAO to promote a multisectoral approach to enhance the work of parliamentarians towards fostering an enabling environment to eliminate hunger. The training took place...

“Seeds are the basis of life. Human life, your life, is dependent on plants. The qualities of the seed go beyond beauty to sustaining us nutritionally and medicinally. Seed is the foundation of human diets across the world.” The National Seed Dialogue and Celebration honoured the role of smallholder farmers in...

The seed, like the big bang, or evolution, or the atom … bears the mystifying tale of a beginning. We fill our bellies on the seed, heal our wounds, build our homes. Upon sight, or smell, or taste, perhaps we let our minds drift to the smallscale farmer who prepares...

Participatory Plant Breeding and Smallholder Farmers video – the third in a series of six videos from ACB’s National Seed Dialogue and Celebration At the National Seed Dialogue and Celebration, hosted by the African Centre for Biodiversity at Constitution Hill in December 2017, this session on Participatory Plant Breeding and...

Resisting Corporate Seed Laws in South Africa - the fourth in a series of six videos covering discussions from the ACB hosted event, National Seed Dialogue and Celebration On 22nd May 2018, South Africa’s draconian corporate seed Bills were approved by the Parliamentary Select Committee, after a lengthy review process....

Video: Value of Household and Community Seed Banks – the fifth video release in a series of six videos from the ACB Availability of and access to diverse, quality seed is a key element in successful crop production. Commercial seed systems focus only on seeds where profits can be made. Over...

Agroecology is best practice: Biowatch's work with smallholder farmers explores the workings of eight homestead farms in northern KwaZulu-Natal, illustrating agroecology best practices through the personal experiences of each of the smallholder farmers. These farmers have shown that the land can take care of its people - if its people take...

Smallholder Farmer Autonomy Over Seed Production – the final release in a series of six videos from the ACB hosted event, National Seed Dialogue and Celebration, held in December 2017 at Constitution Hill. Smallholder farmers feed the world, providing up to 70% of food consumed globally. The seed is...

In August 2018, The Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hosted a speak-out with SADC smallholder farmers in Windhoek, Namibia (SOUTHERN AFRICA) on Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs). FISPs are government agricultural programmes to promote the use of Green Revolution inputs (hybrid seed, synthetic fertilizer...

In August 2018, the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hosted a speak-out for SADC smallholder farmers in Windhoek, Namibia, on Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs). FISPs are government agricultural programmes that promote the use of Green Revolution inputs produced by multinational corporations. These...

In August 2018, the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hosted a speak-out for SADC smallholder farmers in Windhoek, Namibia, on Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs). FISPs are government agricultural programmes that promote Green Revolution inputs produced by multinational corporations, such as chemical fertilizers. In...

The European Union, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs, together with Solidaridad, LIMA Development Foundation and ICCO are proud to announce the launch of the SWITCH Africa Green, Farmer2Market programme. At the centre of the SWITCH Africa Green, Farmer2Market programme is the ambition to unlock access to market...

This report is a result of research conducted in partnership with Tshintsha Amakhaya, Farmer Support Group, TCOE Zingisa and Surplus People Project. The report investigates the state of farmer-managed seed systems in rural South Africa. Through 3 case studies in Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, the report highlights both...

While there has been an unprecedented achievement in poverty reduction in the last three decades, eradicating extreme poverty and halving poverty by 2030 are still two of our greatest challenges. Today, about 767 million people continue to live in extreme poverty. Roughly, two thirds of the extreme poor live in...

The Bulletin highlights outbreaks of transboundary pests and diseases that have the potential to impact food and nutrition security in Southern Africa. It also captures recently concluded and upcoming events that are being organized by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and stakeholders to improve the capacities...

Persistent poverty and under-development in South Africa’s former homeland communal areas have been little changed by post-apartheid ‘rural development’ policy. Rural development policy has often been characterised by impulses towards topdown planning, a default assumption that agriculture ought to drive rural development, a reliance on resource-intensive income generation projects, and...