BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
EZULWINI– Rural women have called for greater and meaningful participation in decisions shaping Africa’s farmer-managed seed systems, saying their knowledge, experience and role in preserving seeds must be reflected in continental policies.
Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) National Coordinator and Eswatini Chapter Leader Zakithi Sibandze made the call during the ongoing Africa Ministerial Seed Summit at the ICC Ezulwini Palazzo, where she was among exhibitors participating in the second day of the summit.
Sibandze said rural women should not merely be consulted but must be part of the decision-making processes around farmer-managed seed systems, particularly as the African Union (AU) considers its Policy, Strategy and Action Plan on Farmer Managed Seed Systems (FMSS).
The RWA SADC leadership group, representing rural women, has submitted proposals on the policy, arguing that women play a critical role in seed selection, saving, multiplication, exchange, preservation and the transmission of indigenous knowledge.
According to the submission, farmer-managed seed systems are central to the livelihoods, food and nutrition security, resilience and cultural heritage of rural communities across Africa.
The group said rural women should be recognised as guardians, custodians, protectors and defenders of farmer-managed seed systems, noting that this role has historically been passed down through generations.
The RWA further raised concerns over aspects of the proposed AU policy which it believes could undermine the autonomy of farmer-managed seed systems.
Among its proposals is that farmer-managed seed systems should be defined as farmer-led and community-governed, rather than simply community-based.
The group also questioned the application of formal seed-system requirements to farmer-managed seeds, arguing that rural communities have developed, selected, saved and exchanged their seeds over generations and that these systems should not automatically be subjected to rules designed for commercially bred seeds.
Sibandze and the RWA also called for recognition of farmers’ own understanding of seed quality, which they said goes beyond official certification requirements to include characteristics such as taste, smell, texture, colour and nutritional value.
The submission further proposes stronger recognition of seed sovereignty and safeguards against the commercialisation or patenting of farmer-managed seed resources by others.
The RWA has also proposed that community seed banks should be community-driven and coordinated by local farmer associations to promote local seed sovereignty, while farmers should retain the mandate to manage their own community seed banks.
The group is calling for greater inclusion of rural women, farmers’ organisations and supporting civil society in the development and implementation of the AU policy.
It has further proposed consideration of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas in the AU policy and urged states to domesticate its principles in their respective national laws.
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