Experts: Indigenous seeds best for Kenya’s food security

Participants at the open source seeds system forum in Nakuru recently during a discussion. Experts say Kenya should come up with policies that will secure the sovereignty of her seeds in a bid to enhance food security. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Multinational companies aggressively market various seeds claimed to do well in specific parts of the country.
  • According to experts, indigenous seeds which have been grown at the same places for decades would be best for each region.
  • Failure to conserve the varieties, he said, will put the country at the risk of losing seed sovereignty.

Kenya should come up with policies that will secure the sovereignty of her seeds in a bid to enhance food security and conserve the indigenous seeds variety.

Systems should also be put in place to identify and document all Kenyan seed varieties to protect sovereignty, history and boost food security.

These were some of the sentiments by stakeholders in the agriculture sector who converged in Nakuru to discuss on seed systems in Kenya and the effect of open source seeds systems on food security.

This comes at a time when most farmers have to depend on commercially produced seeds which though said to be high-producing, are not necessarily cost and ecosystem-friendly.

MULTINATIONALS

Multinational companies aggressively market various seeds claimed to do well in specific parts of the country.

Yet, according to experts, the indigenous seeds which have been grown at the same places for decades would be best for each region.

The forum aimed at exploring three main areas in open source seeds system.

These include documentation of seeds, enabling policy environment and contribution to a multi-stakeholder platform.

“It is an opportunity to jointly explore innovation around freedom of access to seeds systems,” said Willy Douma, a programmes officer at Hivos International.

An illustration model of an open seeds system policies process. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

OPEN SOURCE

Provisions in the International Treaty on Plant and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture which Kenya is party to, provides for farmers’ rights.

Stakeholders said it provides opportunities to setting up an open source seed system in the country.

Krishna Prasad, an open source seeds systems expert from India shared lessons from his country on saving and conservation of indigenous seeds.

“We have managed to save hundreds of rice and millet seed varieties in India, for example, and this can also be replicated in Kenya,” he said.

Failure to conserve the varieties, he said, will put the country at the risk of losing seed sovereignty.

He added that farmers will be able to access quality seeds that yield more at cheaper prices.

Kenya Organic Agriculture Network Information and Policy Manager Wanjiru Kamau during the stakeholders forum in Nakuru. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

UNREGISTERED SEEDS

Small scale farmers, he added, have thousands of indigenous seed varieties which are yet to be registered and commercialised, yet have they a lot of health benefits and are more resistant to harsh weather conditions.

At the forum, collaborations were also forged in order to foster fruitful relationships in addressing the pertinent issues which centre on improving access to diverse seeds that will lead to more diversity on the plate while addressing food and nutritional challenges.

The three day-meeting was organised by Hivos East Africa, Bioversity International, Genetic Resources Research Institute and Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management-Africa.

Participants came from civil society, government, private sector, farmers’ representatives and research institutions.

Participants at the seed systems forum in Nakuru during group discussions. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

SEED SAFARIS

During the forum the stakeholders undertook seed safaris which comprised of visits to communities involved in seed saving, the Kenya Plant and Health Inspectorate Institute (Kephis) and a nearby seed company.

They had dialogues to explore the contexts of existing seed systems and the potential of open source seeds systems.

They also called for the involvement of farmers in activities such as plant breeding, variety selection, documentation and conservation of indigenous seed varieties.

Discussions also revolved around the need to develop open source seed systems in order to improve access to seeds for poor farmers.

According to current statistics by the Kenya Red Cross, about 2.7 million Kenyans are in dire need of food aid due to ongoing drought.

Against a backdrop of the food crisis in Kenya, it was noted that collaborative approaches in both the formal and informal seed sectors could inform the development of crucial agricultural policies that seek to mitigate extremes like hunger in Kenya.