In recent years, many international actors have launched massive food projects in Africa with the claim of increasing agricultural production. However, these projects, which set out with the claim of “feeding Africa”, do not mean food security for local peoples and farmers on the continent, but rather seed dependency.
The Global Adventure of Seeds: Who is Feeding Whom?
According to the documentary “The Great Seed Theft” broadcast by Al Jazeera English, heirloom seeds that local farmers in Africa have planted for thousands of years and passed down from generation to generation are rapidly disappearing under the pressure of multinational corporations. These seeds are often replaced with patented hybrid seeds, and this new system creates a dependency that forces farmers to buy new seeds every season.
Seed Banks or Seed Prisons?
“Seed banks” funded by Norway, the US and other global actors, while ostensibly established to protect biodiversity, also come with legal frameworks that prevent farmers from sharing and replanting seeds. Some states within the African Union have begun implementing these legal regulations under the guise of “agricultural development.” However, this system eliminates farmers’ ownership of seeds and encourages the commercialization of seeds rather than their production.
Heirloom Seeds: The Key to the Future, Not Just the Past
Heirloom seeds are not just a nostalgic value; they are a strategic resource for climate change resilience, biodiversity and food sovereignty. In the documentary, many farmers and local organizations from Tanzania to Kenya emphasize that indigenous seeds are vital not only for agriculture but also for cultural identity. In this context, heirloom seed advocates are developing alternative models based on local knowledge, local seeds and farmers’ own decision-making mechanisms against international food programs.
Lessons for the World
In Turkey and around the world, traditional seeds are rapidly being replaced by hybrid, imported and patented seeds. Local seed networks, support for small producers and encouragement of seed sharing are among the important strategies developed against this trend.
Similar dynamics are also experienced worldwide, especially in South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The commercialization of seeds is becoming not only an economic tool but also a form of biopolitical control. International civil society networks are trying to establish a transnational solidarity network to defend farmers’ rights over seeds.
For example, the world’s largest peasant movement, La Via Campesina, representing over 200 million farmers in more than 80 countries around the world, is effective both at the policy level (FAO, UN etc.) and in collaboration with local movements within the framework of the concept of “Food sovereignty”.
