Kopano Ke Matla’s Seed Fair

by Bridgette Hector, JH Companionship Facilitator

Wow! What an absolute delight to be amongst so many farmers who are intentionally pushing for the conservation of their indigenous seeds!

The Seed Fair organized by our Joining Hands partners of Kopana Ke Matla on August, 29th in the capital of Lesotho, Maseru, not only provided the opportunity for farmers to examine each other’s diverse seeds, but it also opened a wide forum for them to share their farming stories with one another.

One could easily see the pride in the faces of the farmers as they each talked of the work they had done with their land throughout this past winter. A few of the stories were wonderful examples of success, but most were full of sheer struggle, poverty and doubt in the future of farming in Lesotho.

One of the main issues that these farmers of KKM’s network focused on was the devastating impact of GMO seeds. They talked about how the GMO seeds are too expensive to buy. One farmer shared that even if you do somehow find the money to buy them, they cannot be replanted in subsequent years. Another farmer said that he stopped using GMO seeds because the yield of his crop was drastically reduced once he started using the GMO seeds. Now, he reports that his indigenous seeds are yielding a much larger harvest.

The farmers were indeed proud of their indigenous seeds. Farmers from throughout various districts of Lesotho proudly displayed their indigenous seeds. Some of them were so confident of their seed quality that they entered their seeds in the KKM’s Seed Fair Competition. Certainly this was a rigorous competition that was being judged by officials from the agriculture department in Lesotho! Though there could only be a few winners in KKM’s Seed Fair Competition, all the participants know that the true winners are those who continue to utilize their indigenous seeds!

The energy and information of the Seed Fair was shared amongst many others in Maseru. Even Radio Lesotho, a state owned radio station, sent out broadcasts about the work of Kopano Ke Matla.

We are Wrestling With a Giant!

During KKM's Special Meeting held on August 28th, the Executive Committee Chair Person, Mr. Letsema Adontsi from Mokhotlong District delivered a powerful opening speech. KKM’s network members listened to Mr. Adontsi with eagerness and awe as he shared critical information about GMOs.

Mr. Adontsi concluded his speech with a word of wisdom and encouragement:

“We are like wrestling with a giant, Goliath or a hungry lion – when we attempt to teach people to forsake GMO’s as they enrich the foreign agribusiness companies at the expense of the Basotho. We are simply risking to be hated by agribusiness folks, politicians, and officers. The truth of the matter is that GMOs cannot be any better than the indigenous species. We have begun, we will not turn back, forward we go, UNITY IS STRENGTH! PEACE.”

A Presbytery Book Study on GMO's

Spurred by KKM's Program Theme "Discourage GMO's to Promote Indigenous Seeds", Los Ranchos JH Team members started to educate themselves by studying the chapter in Christian Environmental Ethics, by Martin-Schramm and Stivers, which deals specifically with issues of GMO seed development and use in Africa. Gathering sufficient information and knowledge they will present an educational session to the Presbytery of Los Ranchos later this year, explaining the impact of GMO on our mission partners around the world.