We must admit that over 60 percent of Tanzanians live in rural area, where the majority of these are preoccupied with small-scale farming as a means of livelihood.
In quick analysis, this group produces mainly maize and other staple food crops such as cassava, sorghum, millet, groundnuts, beans, cowpeas and traditional vegetables and predominantly relies on seeds of local varieties saved from previous harvests and on farmer-to-farmer exchanges.
For sustainability, they go for the farmer-managed seed system (FMSS) which is the dominant system for food crops and agrobiodiversity conservation in subsistence agriculture, accounting for more than 80 percent of total area planted with subsistence crops in developing countries and Tanzania in particular.
It includes the majority of the other ways farmers produce, distribute, and obtain seeds, such as directly from their own harvest, barter among friends, neighbors, and relatives, and local grain markets or traders.
With this in mind, how they contribute to food and seed sovereignty and how they maintain and enhance proper nutrition, must be of paramount thing to the government and stakeholders on how to protect and support them in their activities.
With a case study a case of Karatu District in Arusha Region-an alliance of civil societies and private sector organizations concerned with biodiversity conservation, the Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO) engaged stakeholders on how to improve the farmers managed seed system- as the best approach for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in Tanzania.
Teaming up with the National Plant Genetic Resource Centre (NPGRC) Tanzania NPGRC provided technical guidance in the elaboration of tools for seed collection, characterization and cataloging, participation in the in-situ survey and seed characterization as well as training farmers in seed selection, multiplication and storage, it was another opportunity for the locals to acquire new skills on how to preserve their organic seeds.
Graced by the presence of the Karatu District authority that as responsible for coordination of government extension workers, services and advisory and establishing linkages between farmers and program staff, such kinds of teamwork show how the State is interested in preserving culture and raising the welfare of its citizens with the local resources they have.
At the grassroots, village members including Elibaraka Joseph, Bakari Hamis, Pelagia Gaudence and Tajiel Paulo were trained under the programme as seed committee members, who were expected to be ambassadors and train or manage the community seed banks, seed conservation and multiplication in their respective homestead.
It is paramount to improve farmers-managed seed systems for instance maize, whose local varieties are facing constant contamination with hybrid species making them lose some of the original positive attributes such as pest resistance in storage, taste and even vigour.
It was good such a case study had in mind smallholder farmers and stakeholders from almost all over the country, who had time to share seeds and related knowledge and local food and their recipes.
Equally, it was wise understating that local seeds are some of the most rich and diverse types of agrobiodiversity. This is because the promotion of industrial agriculture which is focusing on monoculture is contribution to the loss of indigenous farmers’ varieties (agrobiodiversity) which are vital for increased biodiversity in general and for climate resilience.
Another stakeholder whose contribution was important to the case study was the Islands of Peace through its Kilimo Endelevu programme, whose initiative addressed the current loss of agrobiodiversity so as to improve farmers’ autonomy and sovereignty on use of their farmer-managed seeds.
Its goals are to conserve and sustainably use plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as to share the benefits derived from their use in a fair and equitable manner.
Currently, the program has been extended in phase II (2022-2026) in Arusha Districts.
Why was this activity carried out, and what problems did it indicate to solve?
Biodiversity experts forecast that 9.5 percent of species will become extinct due to climate change within the next 100 years. But it has already proven 1000’s loss of biodiversity or nearer extinct of plant species and varieties that fed our ancestors despite this diversity being our food’s life insurance. Notably, it is the crop biodiversity that keeps our food systems strong and resilient against these real and menacing threats.
Agriculture and climate change are inextricably linked in many ways, as climate change is the primary cause of biotic and abiotic stresses that have a negative impact on agrobiodiversity. For example, climate change in Karatu, Tanzania affects the land and agriculture in a variety of ways, including variations in annual rainfall, average temperature, heat waves, changes in weeds, pests and diseases, or microbes, as well as crop failure due to climate variability.
To mitigate such challenges farmers in Karatu have always been advised by the government to use hybrids/improved seeds over local seeds. However, their experience has shown that these improved seeds and hybrids in particular are delicate to adapt to extremely harsh conditions as compared to local seed varieities.
Based on farmers’ experiences and a study conducted jointly by the National Plant Genetic Resources Center and the Islands of Peace under the Kilimo Endelevu Program indicated that 97 percent of the maize landraces were reported to be resistant against insects, pests and diseases with emphasis on storage pests and 85 percent of the maize landraces were reported to be drought resistant.
Among others, the Kilimo Endelevu Program aimed to improve smallholder farmers’ seed sovereignty and autonomy in Karatu District through increasing availability, affordability, accessibility, and utilizations of quality and diverse local seed varieties (agrobiodiversity) to improve resilience and sustainability to climate change, food security and nutrition.
Also, to support diverse and robust local seed systems embedded in renewable, resilient, equitable, diverse, healthy, and interconnected food systems.
Equally, to address the current loss of agrobiodiversity and to improve farmers’ autonomies and sovereignty on the use of their farmer-managed seeds in Tanzania, a network of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) known as PELUM Tanzania member organization through the Kilimo Endelevu Program initiated a package that used community seed banks for biodiversity conservation.
Its goals were to conserve and sustainably use plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as to share the benefits derived from their use in a fair and equitable manner.
The program used a Participatory Action Research Approach, in which the Kilimo Endelevu family farmers and facilitators, as well as the NPGRC technical team, were fully involved. Farmers were central to the “research,” and the program consisted of several steps and activities, which are detailed below: –
i) Promote the multiplication and use of indigenous seeds by and for farmers. Here, the expected outputs were that farmers would be able to produce and / or have access to good quality local/indigenous seeds. The quality of farmer-saved seed, for either its own use or for use in the local community, through non-commercial and unregulated (informal) systems will be improved. Under this identification of existing local seed varieties, collection and characterization were done. Also, trainings on seed production and multiplication, saving and distributing/exchanging good quality seeds were mounted. Then the programme promoted the use and utilization of farmer-managed seed varieties to family farmers that are affordable and accessible within their locality.
ii) Support advocacy and sensitization activities for the recognition of FMSS. Here the expected out was that the government makes specific exemptions in seed law for all use of farmer-saved seeds by smallholder farmers. Advocate for recognition of the Farmer Managed Seed System in the Seed Act, and for specific exemptions of all use of farm saved seeds by smallholder farmers. To realize this the programme created awareness to journalists (training) on seed law and on FMSS; activating member of networks and platforms advocating for Farmer Managed Seed System; building the advocacy capacity of self-help groups of farmers and of communities.
iii) Sensitize farmers and consumers on Farmer Managed Seed System and local food system. Here, the expected output was that farmers and consumers were sensitized on FMSS and its importance for the economic, social and environmental context but also for their health, here, they will act as defenders of it. By consuming products coming from the FMSS they will advocate for it. To achieve this the program has been organizing Food and Seed fairs; sensitization campaigns through television, radio, brochure, slogan on FMSS, local food; support local restaurants to prepare and sell local food; conduction of sensitization campaigns on Seed Act (and its impacts on smallholder farmers).
iv) Again, the main expected outputs were that the communities of Karatu District are sensitized on the importance of farmer managed seeds; Available germplasm (agrobiodiversity) of local seed varieties in Karatu District identified and well documented; Seed committees formed and trained mainly (members and ambassadors groups representatives from each village) on seed selection, collection, conservation, production and multiplications; Community Seed Banks established, seed exchange and multiplication of local seeds; Farmers managed seed varieties/accessions from Karatu Districts are regenerated and conserved in the National Plant Genetic Resource Center at TPHPA; A detailed comparative cost benefit analysis between hybrids and Farmer managed seeds is conducted and shared with farmers.
In general in Tanzania, the farmers call for protection of their traditional knowledge on plant genetic resources; the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from genetic resource use; the right to participate in making decisions, at the national level, on matters related to conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; and the rights of farmers to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed/propagating material as farmer managed seed system is important.
Some opportunities for advocacy include the existing established community seed banks for plant genetic conservation/local seed varieties, the nutritional and food security importances of using local seeds, the existing research finding for researched maize and beans local seed varieties on climate resilience.
Mark you, Tanzania has ratified/signed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic for food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) since 2014 which gives farmers the rights to save and exchange seed for agrobiodiversity conservation, access and benefit sharing, sustainable use and multisectoral systems but still does not favour farmers managed seed systems instead of breeders/commercial seeds only.
Also, in Tanzania there are national policies that domesticate the signed Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), with the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs 2015-2020), Nationally Determined Contributions (2021), and National Adaption Plans of Action (NAPA) of (2007). Despite the existence of such policies, the emphasis has been placed on promoting biodiversity conservation more broadly.
