Festival celebrates traditional seed, food cultures
The festival programme included recipes and tasting of traditionally prepared foods.
WHEAT, maize and rice provide half of the plant-based energy in diets globally, and 90 per cent of that diet is based on just 103 food crops, despite having close to 7 000 different plant species for food. The Biowatch SA 2017 Sibuyisela Ulwazi Food and Seed Festival took place at the Durban Botanic Gardens Visitors Complex, last week and was aimed at celebrating the diversity of our indigenous and traditional seed and food cultures.
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The festival programme included recipes and tasting of traditionally prepared indigenous crops, and the same foods with an exciting modern twist. There was a sharing of traditional knowledge and culture around seed; buzz groups on topical food system issues; practical demonstrations as well as an exhibition and market space. The festival aimed to raise awareness on the importance of indigenous and traditional seed and food, and the role of the small-holder farmers who sustain these.
Lawrence Mkhaliphi, Biowatch Agroecology Manager said, “This is a critical time to be looking deeply at these issues. For thousands of years smallholder farmers have carefully selected and saved the seed from useful plants that best suited their local ecology, climate and cultural preferences. In Africa, wild species were domesticated and developed into nutritious small grains, legumes and vegetables that thrive even in difficult conditions. But this agricultural diversity, and the smallholder farming systems which sustain it, are being displaced by the industrialized food system – a system that is failing.”
Farmers from communities in northern KwaZulu-Natal, whom Biowatch supports, showcased their seeds and traditional preparation methods; as well as being on hand to share their knowledge and experience. The festival provided a space to exchange knowledge and ideas; identify challenges; and explore future-thinking innovations in support of seed and food sovereignty, and socially and ecologically just food production systems.
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One of the speakers, Gogo Qho from Umbumbulu said: “Many of the young people are ignorant of indigenous food, some of the plants that you walk over are actually food but we are not aware of them. Indigenous food gives us life, we need young people to show that they are eager to learn about indigenous food because it is the old people who have this knowledge.”
“Multi-national companies are narrowing the choice available to farmers so that they own the seed and the value-chain that follows. Through their influence, the laws that govern seed are being rewritten to prevent the farmers’ rights to save and freely exchanging their own varieties. Traditional and indigenous crops are versatile; more nutritious; and because they are usually eaten where they are grown, they are fresh with less processing. They also strengthen community relationships and identity,” said Vanessa Black, the Advocacy and Research Coordinator for Biowatch SA.
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