A Food Sovereignty Campaign: "Promote Indigenous Seeds, Discourage GMOs"

By Thabang "TMS" Letela, Coordinator KKM network

Starting in 2008, the Kopano Ke Matla (Unity is Strength) Network in Lesotho has decided to focus mainly on Food Sovereignty, and to address the root causes of food insecurity in the country generally and amongst the Network members, specifically.

A common and obvious indicator of food insecurity is an increasing number of fields lying fallow year after year as well as poor quality of crops on some planted fields – an indication that for at least a few more years from now the struggle will be continuing. A major cause for fields lying fallow is inaccessibility or inadequacy of agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilizers). Network members and even many farmers have admittedly blamed themselves more than other parties such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MOAFS) for misdirection and lack of information; the entrepreneurs for increasing inputs prices; and the seed and fertilizer manufacture companies for producing unsustainable brands.

The MOAFS has for decades taught the people that hybrid seeds and chemical fertilizers (all externally produced) were the answer to the country`s food insecurity problems. Some agricultural extension officers used to discourage and condemn the use of indigenous seeds (open-pollinated varieties – OPVs) and farmyard manure, in favour of the hybrid varieties or Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds and chemical fertilizers. Consequently, the local seed varieties were subjected to neglect and abandonment to the level of extinction. Many farmers and households no longer have indigenous seeds and are heavily dependent on GMO seeds and chemical fertilizers. As a result of socio-economic and climatic changes, many households and farmers could not afford the ever-increasing agricultural inputs prices. More and more fields lay fallow year by year.

A Change in Mentality

Network members have decided that awareness campaigns need to begin with themselves. To change the mentality that taught them that local brands are inferior to external ones, that GMOs and chemical fertilizers are better than indigenous seeds and organic manure. As a step towards that direction, the Network trained nine farmer representatives from four districts in the construction of a seed granary in November 2008.

When they returned to their respective places, the trainees were expected to share the practical knowledge with their communities and become resource persons in the construction of seed grain stores.

The whole idea of a four-partition structure is to store four different kinds of seed (maize, sorghum, wheat and beans – in order of priority). The seed MUST be indigenous and be locally produced. When these seeds are available, they will benefit not only the Network members, but the whole community. Utilization of indigenous seeds will restore the local tradition of sharing as opposed to the GMOs conditions concerning patenting. The economic aspect of local seeds is that they can be selected and replanted in the next season. Continuity and sustainability are ensured.

Utilization of organic manure will restore the soil texture and fertility. Erosion will be reversed. Natural vegetables and herbs will be restored. Cash currently used for GMO seed and fertilizers will be used to pay for other needs such as school fees, clothing and medical care, etc.

The next step will be to train and empower outstanding farmers (Lead Farmers) to lead the campaign on “Promote Indigenous Seeds, Discourage GMOs” in their respective areas. They will become local resource persons for the multiplication of the indigenous seeds and preservation of organic manure which will ensure that farming becomes a sustainable business.

A Presbytery Book Study on GMO's

by Bruce Boyer, Team Leader Los Ranchos JH

Spurred by KKM's project focusing on indigenous and GMO seeds and food production, Los Ranchos started its own parallel project looking at the production and use of GMO's in the USA. Unlike most of the world, US laws do not require labeling GMO foods, though there are laws restricting the use of GMO grains and other foods. We realized that the first thing we needed to do is to educate ourselves about the issues.

To do so, we currently study the chapter in Christian Environmental Ethics, by Martin-Schramm and Stivers, that deals specifically with issues of GMO seed development and use in Africa. Our immediate goal is to have sufficient information and knowledge to be able to 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. Additional actions beyond that are still to be determined.