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.

Among the organisations leading this effort is the Tanzania Biodiversity Conservation Network (TABIO), which for more than four years has championed the conservation, recognition and wider use of farmers’ seeds.

TABIO works alongside members of the Seed Task Force, a coalition that includes Island of Peace (IDP), Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM), SJS Mwanga, the Federation of Small-Scale Farmers Associations Tanzania (SHIWAKUTA), PELUM Tanzania, PPIZ, the Farmers’ and Environmental Development Centre (MFEC) and several other stakeholders. According to TABIO Coordinator Abdallah Mkindi, the coalition’s efforts have produced encouraging results.

He says extensive advocacy campaigns targeting Parliament, government institutions and agricultural stakeholders have gradually increased awareness of the importance of indigenous seeds.

“We, the stakeholders of the Seed Task Force, met with the Ministry of Agriculture and Parliament through the Committee on Industry, Trade, Agriculture and Livestock where we built their understanding on the benefits of farmers’ seeds,” Mkindi explains.

“For four years through the Seed Task Force we have been preparing research-based presentations which have shown that farmers’ seeds are good for health, the environment and the economy.”

One of the most significant achievements has been the official recognition of 13 farmers’ seed varieties and their inclusion in the National Variety Register.

For advocates, this milestone represents more than a bureaucratic success. It is a step toward preserving genetic resources that have been cultivated and passed down through generations of Tanzanian farmers.

“Last year we witnessed 13 varieties of seeds being recognised and four maize varieties coordinated by TABIO which are Mehe, Erkutoo, Boo and Njano,” says Mkindi.

These maize varieties are primarily found in Karatu District and other parts of Arusha Region, where they continue to perform well under local farming conditions.

However, supporters warn that many indigenous seed varieties remain at risk. Climate change, prolonged droughts, floods, emerging crop diseases and pests are placing enormous pressure on traditional farming systems.

At the same time, changing consumer preferences and increasing reliance on modern food products have reduced the cultivation and consumption of indigenous crops.

Mkindi believes this combination of environmental and social factors threatens the very survival of many traditional seed varieties.

“We are appealing to the government to recognise and protect them so they don’t disappear,” he says. Without clear legal protection and institutional support, advocates fear that valuable genetic resources could be lost forever.

The consequences, they argue, extend far beyond agriculture. Research cited by seed advocates indicates that many indigenous crops contain significant nutritional value.

Their disappearance could worsen malnutrition, particularly among children, while reducing dietary diversity for entire communities.

In response, the Seed Task Force has intensified efforts to conserve traditional varieties. One of its major achievements has been the establishment of more than 120 community seed banks across Tanzania.

“We have seed banks in Mtwara, Dodoma, Arusha, Mara regions and elsewhere and we are continuing to establish more,” says Mkindi.

These seed banks serve as living libraries of agricultural biodiversity, helping communities preserve local varieties while ensuring farmers have access to quality seeds adapted to their environments.

The long-term vision is ambitious but practical: encourage farmers to produce indigenous seeds on a larger scale so they become more widely available throughout the country. Statistics cited by the coalition suggest that more than 60 per cent of crops currently grown in Tanzania originate from indigenous seed systems.

If accurate, this means traditional seeds continue to make a substantial contribution to national agricultural production despite receiving far less attention than commercial seed varieties.

Advocates also point to the re-emergence of coloured maize varieties as evidence that indigenous crops are making a comeback.

“Recently we have seen coloured seeds, for example coloured maize, returning, which will help protect the farmer and the consumer,” says Mkindi.

For many farmers, the appeal of indigenous seeds is not merely cultural or environmental it is economic. Karatu farmer Magreth Basso says traditional seeds helped her escape dependence on expensive agricultural inputs. Previously, she relied heavily on commercial seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

“Every season I had to start afresh. I was forced to buy seeds, buy fertiliser and spend a lot,” she recalls.

“I started asking myself, how did our parents farm for all those years without such heavy dependence?” Her experience reflects a growing concern among smallholder farmers facing rising production costs.

Many are seeking alternatives that reduce expenses while maintaining productivity. SHIWAKUTA Coordinator Richard Masandika agrees that farmers’ seeds have demonstrated their value.

According to him, indigenous seeds contribute significantly to agricultural production and economic growth, making it essential to expand awareness among farmers nationwide. Beyond Tanzania’s borders, local advocates are increasingly participating in global discussions on seed systems and genetic resource conservation.

Agriculture expert Daud Manongi says the Seed Task Force has helped position Tanzania within major international platforms focused on biodiversity protection, farmers’ rights and sustainable agriculture.

These efforts included participation in the 11th session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA 11) held in Peru.

Manongi notes that discussions taking place in Tanzania closely align with the country’s commitments under international agreements concerning plant genetic resources. He also highlights his appointment as a representative member of the World Seed Committee under IFOAM, a global platform promoting organic agriculture seeds and crop diversity.

“That appointment makes Tanzania have a voice in international discussions concerning the protection of farmers’ seeds, conservation of plant genetic resources, development of organic agriculture seed systems, farmers’ and indigenous peoples’ rights and strengthening biodiversity and resilience of food systems globally,” he says.

Support for indigenous seeds is also gaining attention among policymakers. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Industry and Trade says issues concerning biodiversity conservation, agroecology extension services and sustainable agricultural inputs have repeatedly emerged in parliamentary discussions.

“Many things concerning protecting biodiversity, extension services in agroecology and use of sustainable inputs have been brought by indigenous seed stakeholders and we as MPs have seen their benefits,” he says.

Advocates are particularly pushing for stronger legal protections.

They argue that Tanzania needs a comprehensive legal framework capable of protecting plant genetic resources and recognising indigenous seed systems.

Examples from countries such as Ethiopia are frequently cited, where traditional seed systems receive legal recognition and protection. According to supporters, similar measures in Tanzania could encourage wider use of indigenous seeds, increase conservation efforts and potentially open the door for subsidies and tax incentives.

Scientists also support greater investment in research and innovation. Experts argue that scientific knowledge should be used not only to improve agricultural productivity but also to protect valuable local genetic resources developed over generations. The debate over indigenous seeds is ultimately about choices choices for farmers, consumers and the nation.

It is about whether future agricultural systems will depend solely on commercial inputs or continue drawing strength from centuries of local knowledge and biodiversity. For advocates, the answer is clear. Indigenous seeds are not relics of the past.

They are part of the future. And as climate pressures intensify, production costs rise and global interest in sustainable agriculture grows, Tanzania’s traditional seeds may prove to be one of the country’s most valuable agricultural assets tiny in size, perhaps, but enormous in significance.

By Daily News.