The critical role that African rural women play as custodians of seed diversity and wild relatives in the context of climate change

摘要

Working with women in East, West and Southern Africa for over two decades, I hear time and again the powerful stories of women's traditional relationship with seed. Without seed there is no food, and no life. It is women in most cultures who are traditionally the custodians of the whole seed cycle, from selecting which seeds to plant each season, through to harvesting, cleaning and storage. Despite this, women's role as seed custodians has been severely undermined by colonialism, 'development' and modern agriculture. If we are to protect and revive diversity, including wild crop relatives, we must recognise the central role that women play in maintaining and enhancing this great genetic wealth, and support them to continue to do so.