Stakeholders in Morogoro Discuss Farmers’ Seeds and AfCFTA Protocol

By Our Correspondent

Stakeholders from the government, civil society organizations, and farmers have met in Morogoro Region to discuss the role of farmers’ seeds in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol.

Opening the meeting, the Coordinator of the Tanzania Biodiversity Network (TABIO), Abdallah Mkindi, said the protocol—which Tanzania has signed—covers various sectors including agriculture. Therefore, stakeholders found it important to deliberate on the future of farmers’ seeds under this framework.

He explained that statistics show that 70 percent of the seeds used in African agriculture come from farmers, hence their expectation is that these seeds will continue to be prioritized so that the protocol does not negatively affect them.

“This one-day meeting brings together stakeholders from the Ministries of Agriculture, Industry and Trade, civil society organizations promoting ecological farming, farmers, and many others to discuss the AfCFTA protocol, which aims to open up market opportunities across Africa,” he said.

Mkindi noted that the protocol could have both positive and negative impacts. He explained that most farmers’ seeds are not legally recognized, which could prevent them from being included in the free trade system recognized globally.

He added that the protocol could yield positive outcomes if governments recognize farmers’ seeds legally, enabling them to access broader African markets.

Meanwhile, TABIO’s Agroecology Researcher and Advocate, David Manongi, said the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the African free trade agenda to ensure farmers benefit from the available opportunities.

He added that such discussions around the AfCFTA protocol help push African governments to plan and implement strategies to protect the rights of smallholder farmers.

“Additionally, there is no specific policy governing ownership and production of key local varieties such as Mang’ula onions, Kyela rice, and Kamsamba varieties,” he said.

Manongi emphasized that it is the government’s duty to protect areas with plant varieties that have been legally recognized, especially under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which Tanzania has signed.

“We began drafting legislation to protect plant varieties in 2008, but it is yet to be completed. It is important that plant genetic resources be protected by law,” he said.

He further stated that TABIO, in collaboration with other agroecology partners, has successfully established 48 community seed banks across the country, categorized by regions.

The researcher also appealed to the government and other stakeholders to request access to plant varieties stored in international seed banks.

On his part, Abdulkarim Nzori, a Legal Officer from the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), said AfCFTA aims to create a single African market by eliminating various trade barriers.

He explained that to achieve this objective, AfCFTA established a protocol to govern Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) across Africa. Discussions on the IPR Protocol began in 2022, and in 2023 it was adopted and began implementation, particularly to improve Africa’s business environment and align IPR standards with those of other regions.

“Articles 40 and 41 of this protocol provide for member states to begin negotiating key annexes on Intellectual Property Rights, such as trademarks, patents, industrial designs, protection of new plant varieties, geographical indications, and others. These annexes are at various stages of approval, and we expect a common framework to be reached,” he said.

Nzori added that the protocol requires member states to have laws recognizing farmers’ rights, seed protection, and protection of geographical indications. This provides an opportunity for Tanzania to protect products such as Kyela rice, Kamsamba rice, and others as geographical indications.

He emphasized that the protocol promotes innovation, industrial activity, technology transfer, and facilitates easier movement of goods among African countries.

Winfrida Patrick, Assistant Coordinator for Gender and Development at the Catholic Diocese of Mbulu in Manyara Region, said the introduction of this protocol should ensure the protection of farmers’ seeds, as there are already signs of decline.

Winfrida said the diocese works with 14 farmer groups in Mbulu and Babati districts, and they have started facing challenges since the protocol’s implementation began.

“We have 14 groups of farmers engaged in cultivating indigenous seeds, which are beneficial for health, the environment, and communities due to their nutritional value,” she said.

Farmer Salvatory Katembwa from Usoche Village in Kamsamba, Momba District, Songwe Region, said he focuses on growing indigenous seeds because they are safe for human health.

“Traditional farming is good because it doesn’t use chemical fertilizers. We use compost and organic waste. I would like to urge the government to educate farmers on the importance of using indigenous seeds,” he said.

Katembwa added that traditional seeds produce satisfactory yields, and the market for ecologically produced crops is reliable.

“I grow indigenous rice without using chemical fertilizers; I only use compost and natural manure. The rice has a pleasant aroma and fetches good commercial value,” he said.