FIAN International 145d ago

When Crisis Hits, Seeds Mean Survival: Peasant Solidarity in Burkina Faso Peasant seed systems are the backbone of the right to food and food sovereignty. The knowledge, practices, and innovations of farming communities ensure that seeds are constantly adapted to local conditions, making food and agricultural systems resilient. However, the effects of climate change, increased conflict, occupation and war, and other shocks are threatening peasant seeds. Around the world, communities and organizations are developing strategies to respond to these challenges and make seed systems robust to crises. In Burkina Faso, an armed conflict has severely affected local food systems, displacing thousands of peasants, especially in the north of the country. Families had to flee their homes in the face of violence, taking nothing with them and leaving their planted fields behind. The peasant organization Fédération Nationale des Groupements Naam has supported its displaced members by providing them with peasant seeds and small plots of land. This has been made possible thanks to internal solidarity mechanisms. However, the increasing frequency and intensity of crises and shocks require comprehensive strategies, including appropriate public policies.