In Zimbabwe, community seed banks are reviving indigenous crops
Farmers in Zimbabwe are establishing community seed banks to preserve indigenous crop varieties that are threatened by climate change and commercial hybrid seeds. These banks help local communities maintain food security by storing drought-resistant seeds like sorghum and millet.
Why it matters
Preserving indigenous seeds is a critical strategy for climate adaptation and maintaining agricultural biodiversity in regions vulnerable to extreme weather.
Angeline Garwe monitors smallholder farmers bringing small grain seeds to a community seed bank after harvest in Chipinge, southeastern Zimbabwe .
She checks whether the names on the tags correspond with the variety of the seeds and records all the details in her file.
The 49-year-old woman from Kubatana Village is one of nearly 1,000 farmers who have established the Dumisai community seed bank, where they preserve seeds.
Some traditional crop varieties are on the verge of extinction as hybrid crops take over.
Through the seed bank, farmers can access seeds for years to come. Some of the seeds stored in a community seed bank in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. Climate resilience
Garwe said she has been experiencing the effects of climate change for the past decade.
"I remember we used to plant in late October. But now, late rains force us to plant in late November and December," she told RFI.
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