Published: 2 hours ago

Linda Hungwe, a 52-year-old farmer from Masvingo Province in southeastern Zimbabwe, believes that the key to maintaining food security is to adopt indigenous seed varieties that are well-adapted to the local environment.

"Seed symbolizes the beginning of life, and when I control the choice of the seed I grow, I take charge of my destiny," Hungwe told Xinhua during the National Good Seed and Food Festival recently held in Harare, the country's capital, an annual event to promote indigenous seeds, traditional foods, and sustainable agricultural practices.

During the festival, Hungwe and other farmers showcased various indigenous seeds, exchanged seeds, and shared knowledge on Zimbabwe's culinary culture.

The farmer said she grows indigenous crops such as pearl millet, finger millet, round nuts, and cowpeas, which are more drought-tolerant, better adapted to local soil, and more resilient to pests.

In Zimbabwe, recurrent droughts have diminished crop yields for farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture, prompting them to adopt drought-tolerant indigenous crops.

"Farmer-led seed systems are important because, as a farmer, I know the qualities of the seed, my soil, its shortcomings and needs," she said, adding that indigenous seeds can be grown organically, which reduces reliance on expensive external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

Christopher Chinyoka, another farmer from Masvingo Province, said seed exchange among farmers is a long-standing tradition that ensures food security by maintaining locally adapted crops.

"Seed exchanges have been carried on from our ancestors; it's a culture that creates a bond between people. We had seeds that had gone extinct, but now they have been revived, thanks to seed exchanges. If my crop fails due to drought or other reasons, I can always get the seed from other farmers," he said.

Chinyoka added that smallholder farmers should not be at the periphery of food production, but rather be at the forefront to effectively safeguard food security.

Archbold Sasa, a lecturer in the Department of Crop Science at the Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Zimbabwe, said smallholder farmers are key to promoting food security and resilience.

"Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in storing some seed varieties because they keep producing them from time to time, so that we don't lose that genetic material as a country. It's sort of a seed bank," he said. "Some crops are being neglected, and people are not producing them anymore, but we tend to find those seeds in smallholder farmers."

In addition to indigenous grains, farmers are encouraged to adopt indigenous vegetables, including blackjack, pigweed, okra, and pumpkin leaves, due to their high nutritional value and adaptation to local climates.

"We are doing seed exchange from one district to another so that people will have a diversity of these indigenous vegetables to promote their nutrition, resulting in improved health," said Sasa.
- Xinhua