We are delighted to share two new translations of Seeds of Sovereignty, the second film in our Seeds of Freedom series.
Now available in Amharic and French, Seeds of Sovereignty shares the stories of African communities embarking on a journey to revive their traditional seed diversity and take back control of their food systems. Through the voices of local and indigenous farmers, the film provides a guide for anyone looking to revive traditional, diversity rich seed and farming systems around the world.
In 30 minutes the film unpacks an inspirational approach for the revival of indigenous knowledge and seed systems pioneered by the Gaia Foundation and African Biodiversity Network alongside partner organisations and communities. These new translations will now expand the reach of this methodology around the globe, inspiring similer initiatives for revival to spring up elsewhere.
Challenging the corporate, profit-driven agenda for control of the global food system, Seeds of Sovereignty illuminates the vital importance of transitioning towards agroecological farming systems, grounded firmly in farmers
Only by respecting and learning from ecological cycles, and the knowledge of those still attuned to them, can we ensure the diversity and resilience of seed and farming that can sustain the future, for generations of all species. Agribusiness, with its focus on genetic uniformity, market monopolies and profit at any cost cannot offer us that future, despite what corporate agribusiness PR might lead us to believe.
This has been the central message of the Seeds of Freedom trilogy. Seeds of Freedom offered us an insight into the problem, Seeds of Sovereignty brings us inspiring examples of the solution and later this year the trilogy will be completed with the release of Seeds of Justice. Following the life and work of Ethiopian agronomist Dr Melaku Worede this new film will highlight the revolutionary approach to seed conservation taken by Melaku and his colleagues; an approach which recognises farmers as the custodians of our vital seed diversity and the true experts and innovators in our food systems.
See a sneek preview of Seeds of Justice, released with the Guardian last year.