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 and agro-chemicals) produced by multinational corporations.

WHY FARMERS FIND FISP PROBLEMATIC shows why these subsidized FISP packages are not meeting farmers’ needs. Farmers speak out about the late arrival of fertilisers, that the seed type is not right, that the FISPs promote a maize monoculture and leads to soil degradation. Farmers also speak about the FISPs being used as a tool for political patronage favouring elites and men over women, how farmers are not consulted, and that the FISPs marginalise and do not support indigenous seed and knowledge.