Browsing: quality seeds in Africa

Stakeholders in Tanzania are lobbying for asking the government to establish a department to research and preserve traditional foods and seeds which are feared to be in danger of extinction. “The loss of diverse diets is directly linked to diseases or health risk factors, such as diabetes and obesity,” warns

While the new seed varieties (as well as animal hybrids) are been praised for their fast growth and resistance to disease, the question remains over their nutritional value. There are also concerns that the loss of organic traditional plant and animal varieties places the world at risk of losing traditional medicines.

At a recent Agricultural Ecology (Agroecology) training workshop held in Moshi, Tanzania stakeholders emphasized that; “From providing cures to deadly diseases to maintaining natural ecosystems and improving the overall quality of life, the benefits of preserving threatened and endangered species are invaluable.”

As of 2019, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all had well-established private seed inspection systems. Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda have all made substantive steps towards introducing private seed inspection to augment often overstretched public inspection services.

Counterfeit seed is a growing problem in most African countries, threatening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who unknowingly purchase regular grain labeled as certified seed.

Seed companies in the DRC, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe have each reported more than 20 cases of fake seed per year.