Advocating Agro-Biodiversity
This project supports small-scale farmers and farmer organisations in the region in their efforts to foster democratic debate over legal frameworks having an impact on food security, and more specifically: agro-biodiversity, farmers' rights to use, save and exchange seeds, and in the diverse forms of knowledge farmers develop and maintain. This project helps farmers in defining the role they want to see State play in protecting all of the above.
The overall goal of the project is to ensure the recognition in regional and national policies, laws, regulations, and programmes for women and men farmers' diverse forms of knowledge, their rights to save, use and exchange seed, the importance of maintaining agro-biodiversity for food security, and the role of state institutions in protecting the above.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Southern African Development Community (SADC) |
Agriculture & food security Governance Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights
Agricultural policy
Decentralisation |
01.07.2013
- 01.07.2016 |
CHF 1'850'000
|
- Small-scale farmer organisations and farmer support organisations in the SADC region
- National governments in the region, as well as regional entities (e.g. SADC, COMESA, ARIPO)
- Capacity of farmer support organisations in networked action research on seed and soil fertility strenghthened
- Research and key issue papers on seed and soil fertility in the region developed and desseminated
- Information on socio-economic, ecological and agronomic impacts of various seed systems and soil management options currently at the disposal of farmers in the region made available to women and men small-scale farmers
- Policy recommendations and ammendments (proposed) to draft policies, laws, regulations and programmes that promote agro-biodiversity for food security and provide for farmers rights to use, save and exchange seed.
- African Centre for Biosafety (ACB)
- Third World Network (TWN)
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation AGRICULTURE
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Agricultural policy and administrative management
Decentralisation and support to subnational government (incl. accountability)
Cross-cutting topics The project promotes biodiversity as a priority.
The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
Finance type Aid grant
Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Tied/untied aid Untied aid
Project number 7F08780
| Background |
State institutions and regional bodies in southern Africa are having to come to terms with intellectual property and trade issues in relation to plant genetic resources for food, and simultaneously, with issues to do with farmers' rights and biodiversity. National governments and their constituencies often do not master the terms of the debate that many call for around these issues. In the rare event when consultative processes are organised, government representatives, small-scale farmers and farmer support organisations are frequently denied a voice. Yet the impact of pieces of legislation currently on the drafting board are likely to have on small-scale farmers and the economies they support is a matter of concern. |
| Objectives |
The overal goal of the project is to ensure the recognition in regional and national policies, laws, regulations and programmes for women and men farmers' diverse forms of knowledge, their rights to save, use and exchange seed, the importance of maintaining agro-biodiversity for food security, and the role of state institutions in protecting the above. |
| Target groups |
|
| Medium-term outcomes |
|
| Results |
Expected results: Enhanced and more sustainable food and nutrition security in southern Africa through a shift towards agro-ecological farming systems. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Credit area |
Development cooperation |
| Project partners |
Contract partner International or foreign NGO Other partners |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 1'850'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 1'050'003 |
| Project phases | Phase 3 01.09.2019 - 31.08.2023 (Current phase) Phase 2 01.09.2016 - 31.08.2019 (Completed) Phase 1 01.07.2013 - 31.08.2016 (Completed) |