Youth farmers advance smallholder farmers’ seed rights

Mufaro Mupetesi (24) is working with the Farmers Association of Community Self-Help Investment Groups (FACHIG) in Bindura, Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe. Mufaro is challenging the 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV-91). He says UPOV-91 undermines farmers’ rights. Photo: PELUM ZWE

By Mufaro Mupetesi (24)

My name is Mufaro Mupetesi and I’m 24 years old. I have been involved in the agroecology movement for almost two years, working with Farmers Association of Community Self-Help Investment Groups (FACHIG) Trust in Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province.

My journey started when I joined a youth delegation to do advocacy work on smallholder farmers’ seed rights. This initiative came because there was a push by multinationals for African countries to adopt and conform to what is called the 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV-91).

UPOV-91 gives plant breeders the right to own seed at the expense of farmers who are the custodians of seeds. UPOV-91 is highly restrictive, promotes industrial seed and undermines old age farming practices which are the grassroots of sustainability and resilience.

I participated in a youth gathering in Ghana where youths from 12 West Africa, Southern Africa and East Africa gathered to discuss how they could influence and fight the issues of Peasant Farmers Seed Rights in their respective countries. When I came back from the meeting, I noted that a lot of peasant farmers in my community and the country were not aware of the harm coming their way. I mobilized other youth farmers to raise awareness and challenge the proponents of UPOV-91.

We packaged and disseminated information on seed laws and UPOV-91 through road shows, theater, drama, song, dance and role-plays emphasizing the role of seeds in our culture and heritage. During the 2021 Zimbabwe Good Food and Seed Festival, we had a truck conducting a roadshow around the streets of Harare educating the masses on the importance of Peasant Farmer Seed Rights. The road show culminated in farmers signing a petition rejecting the UPOV-91 and letting the responsible authorities know they are not in favor of changing national laws so that they conform to UPOV-91.

We also noted that stakeholders at district and local levels were not aware of seed laws yet they are the key players when it comes to policy recommendations. We therefore carried awareness meetings to increase their knowledge on the importance of farmers’ rights and the threats posed by UPOV-91. We also engaged them through Twitter feeds, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Our work has seen smallholder farmers embrace traditional seeds more and advocate for the realization of farmers’ rights. I am planning to conduct a national youth training campaign similar to the Ghana workshop but focusing on farmers’ seed systems and farmers’ rights in Zimbabwe.

I urge young farmers to get involved not only in the farming practices but also in important decision making activities. As future custodians of the seeds they should stand up for their rights and their parents’, grandparents’, and neighbours’ seed rights.