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The What, Why, and How of Farmer-Managed Seeds: A Case Study of Makongo Farmers Network

By Francis Ngiri, Stephen Muthui, Makongo Farmers Network, and Christine Gatwiri

With 80% of seeds sourced from informal systems and only 20% from formal ones, it’s evident that farmer-managed seed systems (FMSS) are the foundation of our food supply. These systems provide seeds for staple crops like sorghum, yams, arrowroots, cowpeas and millet—crops often ignored by commercial seed companies due to their perceived lack of profitability. FMSS also play a crucial role in supporting farmers in ecologically diverse areas, such as Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), where commercial seed companies see little value.

What Are Seed Systems?
Seed systems refer to the network of actors and activities involved in the provision, replacement, and distribution of seeds. Two main types exist: formal and informal (farmer-managed seed system and indigenous system that is even less structured than FMSS).

Formal seed system: dominated by private companies, featuring high intellectual property (IP) protections and strict regulations. However, it offers little diversity, as seeds must meet rigid standards of distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) for registration.

In contrast, farmer-managed seeds are diverse, adapted to local conditions, and owned by the farmers themselves. While IP protections are limited, efforts are underway to better recognize and protect farmer ownership.

The emphasis on diversity rather than just distinctiveness is important. While the formal system prioritizes traits that are distinct, uniform, and stable, farmer-managed seeds thrive on diversity, offering a range of genetic material that helps crops adapt to different environmental conditions. This diversity is vital in building resilient food systems capable of withstanding climate change and other environmental pressures.

These two systems often overlap, as farmers use both formal and informal seed sources. Unfortunately, policies like Kenya’s Seed and Plant Varieties Act criminalize FMSS, favouring formal systems even though the latter frequently relies on FMSS as foundational seed materials, which they hybridize and sell for profit—often without fair access and benefit sharing (ABS) to farmers.

Both systems need to exist, parallel to each other and deserve recognition and support in policy spaces.

Why Seed Sovereignty Is Crucial
Seed sovereignty is integral to food sovereignty. Farmers conduct research on their fields, experimenting with seed varieties, weather patterns, soil, and agricultural techniques. Yet, they often lack proper documentation of their findings. This is where formal research excels, enabling companies to appropriate farmer-developed seeds and register them as their own.

Recognizing farmers’ work in preserving both seeds and biodiversity is essential. By maintaining access to diverse genetic materials, farmers ensure the long-term viability of our food systems. Without stringent IP protections, seeds remain available, supporting not only food security but also the broader principle of food sovereignty—empowering communities to control their own food production and resist corporate dominance.

How Farmers Manage Seeds: The Makongo Case Study

Step 1: Seed Reception and Testing
The Makongo Farmers Network operates the Eden Seed Bank. Upon receiving seeds from farmers or events like seed fairs, two tests are conducted: a moisture test, using tools like salt to check for high moisture content, and a germination test to ensure seed viability. Seeds that pass these tests are then multiplied or characterized as needed.

Step 2: Seed Characterization
Makongo farmers plant various seed varieties to document key characteristics like leaf shape, fruit size, taste, and growing conditions. This information helps identify favorable varieties for multiplication. The characterization focuses on morphological characteristics such as size, shape, colour and taste because they lack the techniques and materials necessary for molecular characterization, nutrient profiling and understanding the plants’ resistance to pests and diseases.

The picture below shows a field where characterization of sweet potatoes is ongoing. Notice the different leave sizes and shapes. Underneath, the fruit sizes, taste, colour and shape are also different.

Step 3: Seed Multiplication and Regeneration
Seed multiplication increases the seed supply for future planting and banking. Farmers who receive seeds are required to return a portion of their harvest to the seed bank, which is then redistributed or exchanged with other farmers. Occasionally, new varieties emerge through cross-pollination. These are tested for stability before being named and stored in seed banks.

Makongo has sent 22 seed accessions to the Community Central Seed Bank (Seed Saver Network), the Kenya National Gene Bank (GeRRI), and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway.

Step 4: Seed Banking and Distribution
Seeds are banked both short-term (6 months to 1 year) and long-term (up to 3 years). They are tagged and stored in dark glass bottles, cold pots, or dehydrated bags. Wood ash and dried manure are used as preservatives, with maize cob ash being preferred for its pest-repellent properties. At the Eden Seed Bank, seeds stored long-term undergo germination tests every six months to ensure viability is maintained.

Each planting cycle improves seed adaptability to local environments, and a coding system is used to track seeds. This system records the specific ecological environment and captures details of the original farmer who supplied the seeds, safeguarding farmer ownership of the genetic materials.

Research and Policy Gaps
Part 2 of this article will explore the gaps in research and policy affecting FMSS, as well as insights from the Regional Symposium on Farmer-Managed Seed Systems held in August 2024, organized in collaboration with Biba Kenya, the African Biodiversity Network, Bread for the World and Heinrich Boell Foundation Nairobi.

Authors:

1. Francis Ngiri – Agroecology Farmer and Seed Ambassador, Chairperson, Makongo Farmers Network
2. Stephen Muthui – Agroecology Practitioner and Youth Representative
3. Makongo Farmers Network – Farmer organization in Makongo, Nakuru
4. Christine Gatwiri – Project Coordinator, Route to Food Initiative