Preserving seed diversity in Tanzania

Background

SAT is a pioneer organisation in organic small-scale agriculture. Since 2011 it has promoted agro-ecology as a method to increase yields, decrease input costs and protect the environment. Within less than ten years, SAT has built up a network of 3.000 farmers in 72 villages; it has started a 300-acre demonstration and training farm, and it has opened its own organic food shop. Its magazine reaches some 80.000 persons.  

Organic seed production, however, remains an unsolved issue in Tanzania and Sub-Saharian Africa in general. It lacks local varieties of good and stable quality and the legal framework to develop the necessary seed breeding and commercialisation.

Project goal

The goal is to preserve seed diversity in Tanzania, within a legal frame, through a community seed bank, through local and organic seed production, and through ways of legal commercialisation.

In the first year stakeholder workshops will be held to identify gaps in the existing seed supply system and formulate suggestions for a policy change. Parallel to this, the creation of the community seed bank will be kicked off. In a baseline survey conducted in five villages relevant information about farmers and seeds will be collected. After that farmers will be mobilized and most potential seed varieties selected. Training in seed production will be conducted at SAT Farmer Training Centre. Finally the idea of having local seeds will be promoted in a two-day seed festival. Seeds from different villages will be sourced and cultivated at a selected place. They will be arranged in a way that visitors will be able to see their potentials. Farmers will select the seed of the year and will speak about the values and responsibilities of having inherited seeds from their predecessors.