Tanzania: Indigenous Seeds Gain Ground As Farmers Challenge Modern Dependence

ACROSS Tanzania and beyond, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking shape. At the centre of the movement is a simple but powerful idea: farmers should have the freedom to save, exchange and plant their own seeds.

Known variously as indigenous seeds, traditional seeds or farmers' seeds, these varieties are increasingly becoming the focus of discussions among agroecology advocates, policymakers, researchers and farmers.

From village meetings to international conferences, supporters argue that these seeds are more than planting materials, they are a foundation for biodiversity, food security, climate resilience and farmer independence.