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PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
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Zimbabwean Farmers Act to Protect Biodiversity
May 20, 1994
Ninety percent of all farmers in Zimbabwe use hybrid maize
seeds, which are aggressively marketed by multi-national seed
companies including Pioneer (USA) and Pannar (South Africa).
Although farmers use these seeds hoping to grow surplus crops
and earn extra cash, modern hybrids can limit plant genetic
diversity, damage the local ecology and undermine household
food security, according to Arthur Chaguma of ENDA, a Zimbabwe
NGO.
To address these problems, ENDA (Environnement et Developpement
du Tier-Monde) - Zimbabwe has started a partnership with
farmers to collect indigenous seed material and test their
suitability for different field conditions. Over 250 varieties
of indigenous cereals have been collected. ENDA encourages
peasant farmers to produce their own seeds and supports farmer-
led research and training programs. These programs have
produced indigenous materials that store well and require few
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers also may earn
income from producing seed for both the domestic market and for
export to other countries in Southern Africa.
In the March/April 1994 edition of "Landmark," a Farmers' World
Network publication, Chaguma explains that farmers formerly
spread their risk by cultivating a wide range of crops. In dry
regions, farmers grew small grains, drought-resistant sorghum
and local varieties of open-pollinated maize on up to 30% of
arable land. But the government considered indigenous seeds
inferior and together with agribusiness aggressively promoted
"modern" hybrid varieties. Government policies based on this
approach penalized farmers who intercropped to spread risk and
did not recognize farmers' role in the management of plant
genetic resources.
Indigenous seeds tend to be drought-tolerant, require minimal
external inputs and perform well when the natural organic
fertility of the soil is properly managed. They also tend to
have good storage properties, resisting attacks by weevils and
other pests. Overall, Chaguma states, traditional farming
systems in Zimbabwe brought comparatively reliable yields and
minimized risk of total crop failure.
Rather than providing profits for local farmers as promised by
agribusiness, hybrid seeds have aggravated household food
security and degraded local natural resources because they
require expensive chemical inputs and are not drought tolerant.
These are serious constraints in a country where the majority
of the rural population -- about 4.5 million people -- live in
areas with low rainfall and poor agricultural soils. In 1992,
Zimbabwe experienced the worst drought of the century and had
to import emergency food aid because several basic food crops
(including maize) were not drought resistant.
Chaguma reports that with the use of hybrid seeds, many
households became dependent on agribusiness for pesticides and
chemical fertilizers, whose prices continue to rise beyond the
reach of peasant farmers. But hybrid seeds typically fail 5
years out of 6 in the drier regions of Zimbabwe and plant
genetic resources continue to be eroded. Some 65% of the
country's population therefore faces food insecurity, according
to Chaguma.
Unfortunately agribusiness, plant breeders and extension agents
still tend to focus on yield as the main benchmark for seed
performance. In contrast, resource poor farmers have different
and broader criteria, explains Chaguma. They prefer crops with
a broader genetic base to allow staggering of labor at peak
work periods, to cope with different environmental factors and
for selection of different end-use qualities.
Source: Arthur Chaguma, "Farmers Lead the Way in Zimbabwe",
Landmark, No. 2, March/April 1994. (c/o Farmers' World
Network, Arthur Rank Centre, National Agricultural Centre,
Stoneleigh, Warks CV8 2LZ, England, tel: 0203 696969 ex. 338,
fax: 0203 696900)
Contact: Arthur Chaguma, Food Security Division Manager, ENDA,
PO Box 3492, Harare, Zimbabwe, tel: 263-4-708-568, fax: 263-4-
729-204.
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