Diverse, localized, farmer managed seed systems are the cornerstone of a biodiverse, climate-resilient, equitable food system—and essential to achieving zero hunger. However, somewhere along the way in the “modernization” of our food system, the trend is towards less rather than more seed diversity. That diversity has been eroded by corporate and governmental policies in support of seed homogenization and privatization, such as by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. We all pay the cost. The right to food sovereignty is undermined around the world, proprietary seeds leave farmers in debt and consumers are hurt when food supplies rely on fewer crops vulnerable to droughts, floods and pests. 

Farmer managed seed systems (FMSS) are central to the everyday practices of the small-scale farmers who feed 70 percent of the world’s population. FMSS recognize the central role farmers play in selecting, growing, saving, and sharing seeds in community. Despite this, mainstream discourse continually refers to these systems as being “informal” or “anti-modern.” Additionally, over the last few decades, many governments have moved toward embracing Green Revolution “technologies”, including GMO’s, under the misguided perception that they will lead to greater production. In some instances, open seed exchange has even been criminalized. This devalues and undermines the essential climate resilient, nutritional and equitable qualities of FMSS. 

Thankfully, there is an upsurge of community-led movements advocating for food sovereignty in the face of this corporate backed, restrictive approach to feeding the world. The Agroecology Fund invests in many of these grassroots movements. With their reach deep into communities, they advance food sovereignty, rights to land, territory and natural resources, climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. They are leading movements to protect seed sovereignty in their local communities by ensuring policies, laws, and practices affirm the role of small farmers and their right to FMSS. 

In Defence of Seed Sovereignty: Grassroots-Led Movements for Change

In Kenya, Kenyan Peasants League, has been defending peasant farmers’ rights for many years. In October of 2022, a governmental ban on GMO’s, which had been in place for a decade, was lifted. The Kenyan Peasants League quickly organized a GMO taskforce to reinstate the ban, although not permanently. The Kenyan High Court will make a permanent decision in October 2024. The push for corporate-tilted seed laws across Africa, driven by protocols like the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), commodifies seeds, which threatens the biodiversity and resilience of African agriculture. KPL mobilizes Kenyan small holder farmers and consumers to push for agrarian reforms that help ensure food sovereignty and environmental conservation. 

Photo Credit: Victoria Uwemedimo / Agroecology Fund 

In the Philippines this year, the Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) celebrated the decision of the Philippines Court of Appeals, upholding the lower court’s decision to stop the distribution and commercial propagation of GM Golden Rice and Bt Eggplant after much grassroots campaigning. SEARICE warned against corporate takeover of farms and patented seeds that could replace existing local crop varieties. It is their perspective that Filipino farmers have sufficient local varieties to supply food and crop needs. All they need are appropriate laws, technical and post-harvest support. Therefore, SEARICE supports farmers' needs, not unpredictable, privatized “solutions” that leave communities disempowered and vulnerable.

Across the Americas, there are many rich movements for food sovereignty rooted in seeds. In the United States, Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA) is developing a robust Indigenous Seed Keepers Network (ISKN) to design, facilitate and implement Seed Stewardship Mentorship training that is culturally appropriate. They propose a collaborative framework for ethical Indigenous seed stewardship so that tribal communities can protect their seeds from patenting and bio-piracy. 

Photo Credit: Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance 

Further south in Mexico, Indigenous communities are part of a fight against the US government, that seeks to impose the importation of GMOs that risk contamination of the nearly 60 native varieties of maize that are central to Mexico’s cultural heritage. The Mexican government has restricted the use of genetically modified white corn for human consumption and glyphosate as part of its broader program for food self-sufficiency and agroecology. Last August, the U.S. government launched a trade dispute, falsely asserting that these rules violate provisions in the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which incidentally recognizes nations’ authority over their cultural heritage. Civil society groups, supported by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy have submitted responses and the Mexican government has submitted important studies denouncing the changes by indicating the degree to which GMO corn will harm Mexicans, as corn accounts for the majority of calories and protein of daily diets. The case is slated to be decided by a council of judges by the end of the year. 

Certainly, the biotech industry has the ear of many policy makers. Lobbyists (and sadly, the Gates Foundation) spend billions to adopt technical fixes that they describe as climate-smart. The truth is that climate-smart solutions emerge by working with, not against nature and those living closest to the impacts of climate change. The Agroecology Fund is honored to support remarkable community-led efforts to strengthen a truly climate-resilient food system and seeks to fortify these movements around the world by calling on private, public, and multilateral organizations to join us. 

The opinion expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and provided for informational purposes, they do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organization  and neither does it constitute an endorsement or an approval by FAO.