The National Seed Bank is hidden in the lush forest area of Kikuyu town in the center of Kenya. More than 50,000 kinds of seeds are catalogs and stored in two chilly rooms in government buildings.
The bank was founded in 1988 after noticing that traditional kinds of seeds had been lost. It aims to save seeds for research and re -introduction on farms.
“Some of the traditional varieties we have abandoned are actually more resilient to climate change, so when introducing them, especially in the limit areas, they exceed the improved varieties. We are aware of what we can do, “said the director of the Institute for Genetical Resources. We operate banks.
He said that some of the bank species were more resistant to illness and pests, and that they were high.
This gives hopes to a country that depends greatly on rainy agriculture instead of irrigation, and is more vulnerable to drought -like climate shock. This sector contributes to one -third of Kenya’s GDP.
Kenya is not just facing the pressure of food security. According to reports of UN food, agriculture and organization in 2023, more than 1 billion people on the African continent have no room to buy healthy meals, and the number of hungry people is increasing.
However, in Kenya, another complications appeared. In recent months, farmers have been damaged by millions of shilling (tens of thousands of dollars) after planting counterfeit products purchased from private sellers.
Kenya officials admit that seed sector is important.
In the first international seed quality meeting in Japan in August, Paul Rono, a permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, states that Africa has limited ability to produce high -quality species that are exposed to quality standards. I did it.
Stephen Muchiri, the head of the East African Farmers Federation, states that the vitality of Kenya’s crops is low, and the main reasons are defective breeding and propagation programs.
However, some farmers say that efforts to improve the Kenya seed system are restricted by the 2012 law, which prohibits species sharing.
The government states that the law is intended to protect the peasants of unrecognized species, but it is expensive to buy new seeds for each planting season. Faced by more than 12 farmers in Kenya. The next hearing of the incident is March.
Francis Ngiri is one of the peasants who filed a lawsuit. He runs an indigenous seed bank for the local community on his five -acre farm in a semi -dried guilgill area, 120 km (74 miles) from the capital city of Nairobi.
His job is the learning base of farmers who have experienced disappointing yields from hybrid seeds.
“We’ve seen the indigenous seasons, even if the amount of rainfall decreases, has more elasticity in our region and improved performance,” he said to the AP communication. 。
He uses traditional knowledge about preserving seeds, using traditional methods, such as covering with wood ash, which is believed to repel the beetle. He emphasized the use of materials available locally for free.
A farmer Maximira Onura, a farmer who agriculture in Bussia Western -gun, said that indigenous crops provided food security solutions. She is not a part of the legal challenge, but cooperates with NGIRI through a Kenya organization called The Seed Savers Network.
However, “Instead of our government encouraging people who provide solutions through indigenous crops, they are now cracking down on people who share seeds at the community level,” she said.
Seeds in Kenya can be brought to a two -year prison in a two -year prison in both Kenya Singing ($ 7,700), or both in prison for two years. Farmers are not charged.
NATIONAL SEED BANK may distribute a part of the collection to farmers to farmers, expecting that varieties that have been adopted for a long time in the local situation are more elastic.
Director Nyamonggo said that farmers who can’t afford to buy farms, such as fertilizers needed for hybrid seeds, should plant traditional varieties.
“It is wrong to start thinking that using indigenous seeds is a backdrop for farmers, especially farmers in the limit areas,” he said. “Some of the indigenous people are hired by time in local situations, so they are more resilient, so they are far away.”
Nyamongo did not comment on the challenge of a farmer’s court for the ban on sharing seeds.
Patrick v. Verkooijen, President of the Netherlands -based climate change -changing global center, stated that the government could invest in a community -based seed program and maintain various indigenous people. 。
“The indigenous crop varieties provide many benefits, especially genetic diversity, which helps farmers respond to climate change, pests and illnesses, and to manage poor soil fertility. However, they also have potentially low yields and new pests and illnesses. “
Kenya supporters, like NGIRI, have said that their yield and sensitivity for new pests and illnesses are low.
“The reason they are indigenous people is because they adapted to the climate conditions and illness they originally found in their original areas,” NGIRI said.
