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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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 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 […]

  • By Nout van der Vaart and Bram de Jonge, Oxfam Novib Summary of GB10 plenary session and main discussions held From November 18-25, a team of SD=HS representatives participated in the 10th session of the Governing Body (GB10) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). The session, held at […]

  • New Book One hundred local food plants for improving nutrition is the title of the new book published by Oxfam, written by Gisella Cruz-Garcia, Konstantina Maria Togka, Hilton Mbozi and Bert Visser. This book will become the best friend for those who are keen to improve their nutrition, and help others to do that, with […]

  • By Nout van der Vaart, Oxfam Novib The International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV) has failed to take significant steps to expand the exception for small-scale farmers regarding the use of protected seeds for private and non-commercial use purposes. During its annual meeting in Geneva, the contracting parties did not reach […]

  • “It is one of the most interesting courses I ever took because it brought scholars and practitioners together and allowed them to interact with grassroots cases.” –Yiching Song, Farmer Seed Network in China This blog looks at the experience seven SD=HS colleagues who presented some of the case studied as ground for group work, to […]

  • “I get motivated when the farmers themselves show interest to share the knowledge they have, and when they are willing to integrate their knowledge with the knowledge we have.” Anna Sofia Asingo is a passionate advocate for farmers and their rights. With 11 years of experience working with Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI), a member […]

  • “It is on the field that I realize how much of a difference there is between theory and practice.” Sahadev KC has been working in Nepal with farmers and their seeds for the past three years. He works with LI-BIRD, in the far west part of Nepal. In this region, he works in two districts […]

  • “The interest in farming and working with farmers has always been part of me, I understand it very well because I grew up as a farmer and now, I am a farmer. It’s calling for me to work with farmers.” Jeko Manata grew up in southern Zimbabwe, surrounded by agriculture and with a family background […]

  • Joseph Mwitumwa is a Seed Production and Marketing Officer with Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) Zambia. Together with six colleagues from different countries, he participated in the Smallholder Engagement in Seed Systems course held at Wageningen University and developed in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the Production Ecology & Resource Conservation and Oxfam Novib through […]

  • “Nearly everyone in Zimbabwe is a farmer and even those in towns still have one or two beds of vegetables on their backyards.” John Tigere works with Community Technology Development Trust in Zimbabwe (CTDT). His focus is on farming as a family business and as such he works with Farmer Seeds Enterprises to facilitate the commercialization of […]

  • “I am crazy about seeds, and I consider supporting farmers and farmers seed systems my life mission.” Since 2000, Yiching Song has been aiming to link farmer seed systems and the formal system. In 2013, she established the Farmers’ Seed Network in China (FSN) to work through Farmer Field Schools and engaged farmers through Community […]

  • “It is fascinating to make the connections between climate change, seeds systems, food systems, livelihoods, women, land, and indigenous knowledge surrounding seeds, and how they impact aspects of culture, traditions and life.” Juliet Nangamba works as a programmes manager with Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) Zambia. She focuses on seed and food systems projects and […]

  • SD=HS work in China is lead by Farmers’ Seed Network, the team attended both COP15 and COP27 last months. They share their reflections on both events. By Xin Song, Yiching Song, Yufen Chuang COP 15 – Montreal, Canada, 7-19 December The COP15 had diverse issues, including more attention to agrobiodiversity and the first full-day “Food […]

  • By Angel Villavicencio, Saúl Povez (Fovida) and Ana Lucía Núñez (Oxfam in Peru) Evidence from around the world shows that, in countries with significant gender gaps, women are the most affected during and after disasters. Despite the magnitude of the impacts of the climate crisis, women have developed adaptation and resilience strategies that should be […]

  • Por Angel Villavicencio, Saúl Povez (Fovida) and Ana Lucía Núñez (Oxfam in Peru) Evidencias alrededor de mundo demuestran que, en países donde las brechas de género son mayores, las más afectadas durante y después de los desastres son las mujeres. A pesar de la magnitud de los impactosde la crisis climática, las mujeres han desarrollado […]

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