Across Tanzania and beyond, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking shape. Farmers should have the freedom to save, exchange and plant their own seeds. These varieties are increasingly becoming the focus of discussions among agroecology advocates, policymakers, researchers and farmers. These seeds are more than planting materials, they are a foundation for biodiversity, food security, climate resilience and farmer independence.

The Tanzania Biodiversity Conservation Network (TABIO) has championed the conservation, recognition and wider use of farmers’ seeds for more than four years. According to allafrica.com, TABIO works alongside members of the Seed Task Force, a coalition that includes Island of Peace (IDP), Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM).

On May 22, 2025, Member of Parliament Neema Lugangira made a passionate appeal in Parliament, calling for sweeping reforms to protect and promote the use of indigenous seeds. According to therespondents.co.tz, Lugangira said, 'These seeds are more than just crops—they’re our heritage, our resilience, and our future.' The government established a Gene Bank dedicated to preserving native seed varieties, according to the same source.

Sowing Justice, an initiative focused on preserving indigenous seeds and traditional agricultural knowledge across East and Southern Africa, engages youth and young feminist advocates to amplify the importance of seed sovereignty via storytelling, advocacy, and policy engagement, according to restlessdevelopment.org. Indigenous seeds are vital for biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience, according to the same outlet.

Modest Fante, a smallholder farmer in Karatu District, has transformed his ancestral seeds into a thriving business tapping into demand for organic food among northern Tanzania’s high-end tourism industry, according to tranquilitynews.com. Fante preserved seeds including maize, beans, tomatoes, guava, papaya, and avocado. ECOLOGICALLY grown and organic crops method relies on agroecological practices like intercropping, composting and natural pest control to boost soil health and climate resilience, according to dailynews.co.tz.

Seed saving, a thousand-year-old practice which forms the basis of farming, is fast becoming criminalised, according to tranquilitynews.com. Laws in many countries increasingly put limitations on what farmers can do with their seeds and with the seeds they buy, according to the same source.