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  • “I am now a self-reliant woman.” Olivia Biswas made use of the Cultivating Change programme to become an independent farmer who can provide for her family. In Dingpara village of Rajshahi District, Olivia Biswas worked mainly as an agricultural wage laborer on other people’s land. The 35-year-old woman is part of an Indigenous community named […]

  • Once Agata Soren saw government authorities as duty bearers to her and other smallholder women, her relationship with the local agricultural institutions changed. She actively claimed her rights and inspired other women to follow. This is a story about inclusive governance.  Agata Soren, is a Bangladeshi farmer and an indigenous Santal woman belonging to the […]

  • The 11th Governing Body (GB) Session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA, the Treaty) took place on the 24th – 29th November 2025, during which negotiations took place to discuss the draft text of the Treaty, including the key issues of conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic […]

  • by Maya Piotrowska and Nout van der Vaart, Oxfam Novib Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) are the foundation of food production and food security.  While farmers have played a key role in conserving and enhancing PRGFA to the benefit of their communities for over thousands of years, professional plant breeding companies have […]

  • This publication has been produced with financial support from Norway. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of PELUM Uganda (Grant Recipient), Oxfam Novib and CIRAD (Consortium Partners) and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway.

  • On the 14th of September 2025, sixty individuals working on farmer-managed seed systems and local initiatives for agrobiodiversity came together in Manila, the Philippines, for a Knowledge Sharing and Network Building Workshop on Seed Policy and Practice. With support from the FAO Treaty (ITPGRFA) and the European Union, Oxfam Novib brought together thirty members of […]

  • Local food plants contribute to dietary diversity, and hence, to food and nutrition security in rural households of low- and middle-income countries. However, their consumption and use are declining, in a favour of simplified diets or industrial foods. This paper presents data from the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security programme, which aimed at improving nutrition […]

  • Alpona’s journey was far from easy, but her determination led her, in 2012, to the agro-biodiversity fair organized by BARCIK. There, she became part of the Cultivating Change program, which connected her with a supportive community of farmers. They guided her in accessing seeds and taught her organic farming techniques. Equipped with this knowledge, she […]

  • Bienvenue à la communauté P4D !Salutations de la part du CIRAD et d’Oxfam Novib, qui assurent le secrétariat de P4D! Notre voyage ensemble a officiellement commencé en avril, et nous sommes ravis de lancer la toute premièreédition de la Lettre d’information P4D. Avec vous tous, partenaires de l’Afrique de l’Est et de l’Ouest, nous construisons […]

  • We’re thrilled to launch the very first edition ofthe P4D Newsletter. Together with all of you, as partners across East and WestAfrica, we are building something unique connecting, supporting and amplifying theimportant work that you are already doing.

  • From 27 to 29 May 2025, Cusco was the epicentre of an international meeting to rethink the present and future of agrobiodiversity in a context of climate change and rural transformation. More than 70 people—including farmers, young people, researchers, and representatives of national and international organisations—participated in the Agrobiodiversity Knowledge Exchange Workshop, an event that […]

  • Given our positive results and overall success, we would like to share with you the valuable experience of our work on Local Food Plants for Nutrition, implemented during the second phase of the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security program (2019-2024). In this publication we detailed the strategy, explained the context, and presented the evaluation of […]

  • Workshop report launched on promoting an enabling environment for farmer seed systems

  • From May 27 to 29, 2025, Cusco became a vibrant meeting ground for over 70 farmers, youth leaders, researchers, and institutional representatives who came together to reflect on the present and future of agrobiodiversity. In the context of a changing climate and evolving rural landscapes, the “Seeds of the Future” Knowledge Exchange Workshop provided a […]

  • In the heart of Uganda’s Soroti district, a quiet transformation is reshaping the future of farming. When the Land Speaks Back tells the story of two smallholder farmers: Alfred and Betty —who through the ChaChaWaWa initiative and the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security (SD=HS) program, now continuing under the Cultivating Change program— are turning soil, […]

  • On Wednesday, May 28, Oxfam Novib and No Patents on Seeds! hosted an expert discussion in The Hague following their formal opposition to a controversial seed patent. Bringing together key actors from civil society, science, government, and the seed sector, the event focused on the growing concerns around patents on naturally occurring plant traits, a […]

  • On the 25th of February 2025, representatives from the National Gene Bank of Zimbabwe and Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT)deposited 1110 accessions of different crop varieties in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, ensuring long-term conservation of important crop diversity. Some of these seeds came directly from farmers’ community seed banks, showcasing the value of their […]

  • In this repository you will find all the material produced over the 8 years of the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security program. The gathering of the knowledge by many groups, over different geographies, in varying formats, is a testament to the importance of our work on seed sovereignty centering farmers and their communities. We hope […]

  • This SeedsGROW Final Report provides a comprehensive overview of the SeedsGROW programme’s achievements, lessons, and future direction as implemented by Oxfam in close collaboration with a diverse and inspirational network of partners and allies at a local, national and global level. The report highlights the programme’s multifaceted efforts to address global food security, seed diversity, […]

  • This field guide module presents one of the most valuable techniques for plant breeders: the selection of plants to improve local varieties (landraces) or develop entirely new ones. Although often seen as the exclusive domain of professional plant breeders in research stations, this guide translates basic and more advanced techniques from the science of plant […]

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