Farmers’ Rights and Digital Sequence Information: Crisis or Opportunity to Reclaim Stewardship Over Agrobiodiversity?

Contestations about the way in which digital sequence information is used and regulated have created stumbling blocks across multiple international policy processes. Such schisms have profound implications for the way in which we manage and conceptualize agrobiodiversity and its benefits. This paper explores the relationship between farmers’ rights, as recognized in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the dematerialization of genetic resources. Using concepts of “stewardship” and “ownership” we emphasize the need to move away from viewing agrobiodiversity as a commodity that can be owned, toward a strengthened, proactive and expansive stewardship approach that recognizes plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as a public good which should be governed as such. Through this lens we analyze the relationship between digital sequence information and different elements of farmers’ rights to compare and contrast implications for the governance of digital sequence information. Two possible parallel pathways are presented, the first envisaging an enhanced multilateral system that includes digital sequence information and which promotes and enhances the realization of farmers’ rights; and the second a more radical approach that folds together concepts of stewardship, farmers’ rights, and open source science. Farmers’ rights, we suggest, may well be the linchpin for finding fair and equitable solutions for digital sequence information beyond the bilateral and transactional approach that has come to characterize access and benefit sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Existing policy uncertainties could be seized as an unexpected but serendipitous opportunity to chart an alternative and visionary pathway for the rights of farmers and other custodians of plant genetic resources.publishedVersio

Do smallholder farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply good-quality, fungal-free sorghum seed?

Local seed systems that are developed, managed and maintained by farmers are a fundamental practice in smallholder crop production, supporting more than 80% of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and feeding more than 70% of its population. The resilience of such systems is under threat from poverty, climate change, drought, increased pests and diseases, over-promotion of modern crop varieties, change of lifestyles and restrictive seed policies. The system continues to be maligned as having inferior quality, yet few studies support this assertion. This study aims to fll this research gap by evaluating 60 sorghum seed samples collected from smallholder farmers in Uzumba-MarambaPfungwe and Chimanimani districts of Zimbabwe. We investigated the efect of farmer-led seed management practices (e.g. seed acquisition and seed storage practices) on farm-derived sorghum seed quality (moisture, germination and fungal incidences). We found farmers using diverse seed sources and seed storage practices. Seeds were typically of good quality in that their storage moisture content was low, their germination was high, and fungal incidences were low. Seed sourced from local markets, non-governmental organizations and other farmers had germination and moisture standards that met the sorghum certifcation standards in Zimbabwe. However, few samples obtained from the relatives and government failed to meet the germination and/or moisture certifcation standards. We detected low incidences of fungi (Aspergillus favus, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium sp. and Penicillium sp.) in sorghum seed samples tested and in particular Fusarium sp., which is the most economic important fungus in sorghum production. We conclude that farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply seeds of good quality and recommend that such systems should be recognized and promoted to meet the ever-evolving needs of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

AN ASSESSMENT OF PESTICIDE POISONING INCIDENCES PRESENTED AT HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE, ZIMBABWE

Acute Pesticide Poisoning (APP) is a significant problem in developing countries, causing loss of productivity and fatalities in the agricultural sector. However, limited information on the connection between pesticide use, APP, and deaths in Zimbabwe is available. This study aimed to evaluate incidents that resulted in APP and identify the specific pesticides that caused them at Health Care Facilities (HCFs) in Mashonaland Central Province. Researchers conducted a survey asking standardized questions to gather information on APP cases from 93 HCFs. Descriptive statistics and chi-square association tests for APP cases in the targeted HCFs were calculated using IBM SPSS version 22. The study found that 43% of APP cases were due to pesticides belonging to the World Health Organization (WHO) class II acute toxicity category, while 26.1% were caused by Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Most of the cases were due to intentional poisoning (87.1%), with the majority (55.9%) of APP incidents being males. The highest APP cases were recorded in the 21-30 age group (38.8%), followed by the 31-40 age group (32.8%). These results emphasize the significant impact of intentional poisoning by WHO class II type pesticides, particularly HHPs, on the incidence of APP in Zimbabwe. To mitigate the impact of HHPs on human health, it is recommended that the government of Zimbabwe consider pesticide risk reduction measures, such as stricter pesticide registration criteria, import restrictions, and the promotion of less toxic alternatives. These findings highlight the urgent need for policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector to work collaboratively towards creating a safer and more sustainable farming environment in Zimbabwe

Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area

Land cover change is a characteristic reflection of a human society interacting with the physical environment. The Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area is a human settled area endowed with a variety of wildlife (elephants, lions, and buffalo) and wild lands (Dry forests and Miombo ecosystems). However, human-elephant conflicts are known to occur whenever these two species inhabit the same area, which poses serious threat to elephant conservation. The study mapped the extent of land cover changes over a 19-year period (1989, 2001, and 2008). Landsat™ satellite images were analysed to interpret and detect spatial and temporal land cover changes. Relative to change detection analysis the community perception on the state and cause of human-elephant conflicts and the role of conservation policies were captured through targeted questionnaire guided discussions. Deforestation, cultivation, and human-elephant conflicts increased over the period under review and forest classes decreased while the cultivation class increased. Human-elephant conflict hot spots increased, predominantly in areas where cultivation, settlement, and water sources coincide. Agriculture for livelihood was the major factor driving agricultural extensification in ZiMoZa. Weak policing, poor user rights, and pseudo decentralisation of power were policy issues found influencing community resentment towards conservation initiatives in ZiMoZa. The study concluded that extensification of agriculture and human-elephant conflicts will continue to increase in the study area and suggests the need for a paradigm shift from agricultural based livelihood to conservation-based livelihood

Understanding the resilience of local seed systems: a case study of Uzumba-Maramba Pfungwe and Chimanimani Districts, Zimbabwe

Globally, industrial crop production practices are of significant environmental concern, with some studies suggesting that smallholder farming systems could provide a more sustainable alternative. Local seed systems are at the core of smallholder agriculture and, although typically characterised as inefficient, can account for 60-100% of seed materials planted. Such systems are envisaged to remain as dominant seed sources in the foreseeable future, especially in the face of climate change and socio-economic challenges. However, there is a limited understanding of how local seed systems persist in the face of adversities. In this nexus, local seed systems are seen as key areas for enhancing resilience as they have strong links to food security and livelihoods in smallholder farming communities. Based on case studies from Zimbabwe, a country with more than 70% of its population dependent on smallholder agriculture, and a prolonged history of acute economic and ecological challenges, this study examines the concept of resilience in smallholder seed systems. The research aimed to explore interactions between the management of seed by smallholder farmers and social and ecological factors to understand their influence on the resilience of local seed systems. The history of local seed systems in Zimbabwe is explored, as well as the constraints faced by smallholder farmers and the innovations they have developed. The research characterises the activities of smallholder farmers and the quality of seeds circulating in local seed systems and examines how actors and institutions shape such characteristics. Building on critical theoretical debates around social-ecological systems, complex adaptive systems and resilience, an analysis is provided of how local seed systems interact with social and ecological factors, thus developing a conceptual understanding of how resilience is enabled or constrained in these systems. Case studies were selected in the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe and Chimanimani Districts of Zimbabwe. Using an interdisciplinary research approach, qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used, including household surveys, key informant interviews, participatory observations, and laboratory experiments. The findings show that history profoundly influences the social and ecological factors affecting local seed systems and informs how smallholder farmers have sustained these systems in the face of adversities. The innovations of smallholder farmers are emphasised alongside the repertoire of seed management options they used to respond to social and ecological adversities. Although traditional cultural practices to sustain local seed systems are waning, other forms of institutional arrangements driven by non-govenmental organisations are emerging, such as seed fairs, field days and community seed banks. These emergent activities have provided new platforms that promote local seed systems. Formal seed systems do not offer such opportunities, as they operate in a rigid, predetermined and highly regulated manner. However, an increased focus on local seed markets may conflict with traditional norms that view seeds as common heritage assets openly exchanged among farmers. A central premise is that local seed systems are shaped by non-linear and complex interactions of nested ecological and social factors. The demonstrated resilience behaviour of these systems challenges the appropriateness of prescriptive and mechanistic interventions such as seed aid. Ten key principles are proposed that characterise the resilience of local seed systems. The thesis emphasises the importance of integrating the principles into policy and practice to advance seed and food security of smallholder farmers

Farmers’ Rights and Digital Sequence Information: Crisis or Opportunity to Reclaim Stewardship Over Agrobiodiversity?

Contestations about the way in which digital sequence information is used and regulated have created stumbling blocks across multiple international policy processes. Such schisms have profound implications for the way in which we manage and conceptualize agrobiodiversity and its benefits. This paper explores the relationship between farmers’ rights, as recognized in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the dematerialization of genetic resources. Using concepts of “stewardship” and “ownership” we emphasize the need to move away from viewing agrobiodiversity as a commodity that can be owned, toward a strengthened, proactive and expansive stewardship approach that recognizes plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as a public good which should be governed as such. Through this lens we analyze the relationship between digital sequence information and different elements of farmers’ rights to compare and contrast implications for the governance of digital sequence information. Two possible parallel pathways are presented, the first envisaging an enhanced multilateral system that includes digital sequence information and which promotes and enhances the realization of farmers’ rights; and the second a more radical approach that folds together concepts of stewardship, farmers’ rights, and open source science. Farmers’ rights, we suggest, may well be the linchpin for finding fair and equitable solutions for digital sequence information beyond the bilateral and transactional approach that has come to characterize access and benefit sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Existing policy uncertainties could be seized as an unexpected but serendipitous opportunity to chart an alternative and visionary pathway for the rights of farmers and other custodians of plant genetic resources