Taking climate action through traditional seeds

Seed lies at the heart of our agricultural and food systems. The story we know of the diverse cultural food from around our African continent is that, in most African traditions, seed is largely cultivated by women to feed their families and provide for community livelihoods. The diversity of seed cultivated enabled communities to respond to climate change and maintain the resilience of their food systems. These seeds and the related knowledge about them, have been passed on from one generation to the next. EarthLore Foundation in South Africa has been working with community seeds, both in South Africa and Zimbabwe, to build community and ecosystem resilience in the wake of climate crises. This encompasses revival of traditional seed diversity and farming systems and customary laws to protect their ancestral lands and Sacred Natural Sites. Community dialogues are EarthLore’s methodology and provide a space for knowledgeable elders, mainly women, to share their memory and knowledge with the community.