Decolonizing Our Minds and Our Lands

Reviving seeds, culture, and African strength

by

Gathuru Mburu, 

Published on

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

 by Other Worlds

'Even though African countries gained political independence,' writes Mburu, 'we did not gain the spiritual independence which is so critical to our development even today.' (Photo: zacharyshahan.com)

Recolonization is happening. There is a second scramble, not just in Africa, but across the global South. Corporations started it. We need to name and shame these corporations – Monsanto, Syngenta, Cargill, and the program promoting them, AGRA [A Green Revolution for Africa] – to take this battle to the next level.

The wars [of conquest of Africa] have not actually ended – the artillery has just transformed into a different type against us farmers today. All of us are fighting.

Organizing from the Grassroots, to the National, to the International

The problems we’re facing today can’t be solved by individuals. The way to fight the war is through a collective approach.

The African Biodiversity Network is working to bring communities across Africa together and connect them to strengthen the grassroots. Communities are reviving their culture and their seeds, and forming local alliance which we call “communities of practice.” Then we connect these communities of practice at the local, national, and regional level, and they form active coalitions.

This is why the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa formed, which consists of 13 networks collectively covering 40 of the 54 countries. We have huge strength. We can actually change farming, seeds, and culture en masse in Africa.

We are doing this first and foremost at the grassroots level, because our national and international campaign relies on people at the local level taking control, taking advocacy into their own hands. The national and international levels need to learn from the ground up to have credibility and be informed.

We also are learning from other countries which have progressed in having good seed laws or recognizing the work of family farmers. We are coming together to learn about good practices and the lessons from both the successes and failures in the movement.  

If you look at Kenya where we have made some strides, we are engaging even the government. We are trying to contribute to policy-making on farming and the handling of seeds. A small example is the new constitution of Kenya. We managed to push and have the constitution itself recognize the diversity of seeds, including the farmer [local, indigenous] varieties. It was a big success for that coalition and we are going to keep pushing further.  But we must always be vigilant to ensure that the spirit of the constitution is actually kept in the laws that are developed.

Reviving the Culture and Family Farming

Reviving the seed comes with reviving the culture, because it’s not only about the seed. You also need to bring back the context of that seed, which is the knowledge of the people, the knowledge held by elders, both men and women.

We have learned from the elders that traditional communities had very well-defined roles and responsibilities for men and women. There were specific seeds for men, and the same for women. So when bringing back the seeds, we’re bringing back the knowledge of women and of men. They are different but they are complementary. And if we are bringing back ecosystems in whole, using a holistic approach, then the two need to work together.

We also understand that our knowledge is not static. And we understand that other communities have their own knowledge. The important thing is how we connect these communities so that they can continue learning from one another and thereby strengthen one another.

Bringing back seeds and knowledge is also about bringing back rituals before planting, after planting, and before harvesting. It’s about celebration. You bring back life the way it used to be. It’s about restoring the whole ecosystem and people again.

The Strength of Spirituality and Common Principles

Reviving the culture is also about reviving the spirituality of the people. Even though African countries gained political independence, we did not gain the spiritual independence which is so critical to our development even today.

We first have to decolonize our minds because we are still carrying the shame of our ancestry. Unless we are able to shed this, our efforts are futile. It all starts in the mind. You can then look at issues from a different perspective, bringing the power inspired by your ancestors from within. You are then able to distill the answers and solutions to your problems from that ancestral knowledge.

So [our challenge is] to bring back the whole ecosystem. We are communities of humans, and the ecosystems are the other communities of the earth. These, plus our spirituality, are very important pillars in our work.

There was a meeting in Kenya that brought elders together from four different countries [South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia]. They were looking for common principles that can bring communities throughout Africa together. We are finding that even within the diversity across Africa, there are common threads, common principles, that join us together. We can derive our strength from that, so that we reclaim Africa from the yokes that we are still finding ourselves under.

This is the fourth article in a series which features interviews with grassroots African leaders working for seed and food sovereignty, the decolonization of Africa's food system, and the preservation of traditional farming practices. This series is made possible with support fromNew Field Foundation and Grassroots International.

Copyleft Other Worlds. You may reprint this article in whole or in part. Please credit any text or original research you use to Other Worlds.

Gathuru Mburu is an ecologist and activist from Kenya. He is Co-Founder of the Institute for Culture and Ecology and part of the African Biodiversity Network, which is a member of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.

CLTC working past cited violations

CLTC working past cited violations

Posted: Jan 31, 2010 1:22 PM
Updated: Jan 31, 2010 3:22 PM

by Janjeera Hail

Guam - More than a month after the Chamorro Land Trust Commission's compliance team gave its first inspection report, notices of violations still have not been sent out to leaseholders. But progress is being made and they've got a plan in the works.

In December, the CLTC's multi-agency task force presented its first inspection report to the CLTC board, illuminating a number of serious problems uncovered over the course of the team's survey of several CLTC agricultural leases. The team, led by Dr. Bob Barber from the University of Guam, found consistent violations across many of the leases: unauthorized subleasing and noncompliance with labor laws, unauthorized septic systems, and nonexistent farm plans, just to name a few.

However, Barber wants to make clear that the team isn't trying to take away land from offenders, but rather to help leaseholders reach the goals of the CLTC. "It can be a significant income substitution process and that's the idea of many of these smaller land trust leases is to for food security and to ensure that we have local production for our own families and homes. That's a key thing for this," he said.

For example, UOG just concluded a free three-day workshop on livestock techniques, and the Department of Agriculture is cultivating saplings that will be given out, free of charge, to lease holders who do not meet the 50 trees-per-acre requirement.

John Borja, the chief of Agriculture Development Services, says that availability will depend on what's in season. "If they're requesting for something else, they'll just have to wait until that's available in the nursery for production. If anything we're starting slowly so it's not going to be a rush to get a lot of plants or all the plants so we're going to be distributing it very lightly in the beginning until our inventory is increased," he said.

In the meantime, the CLTC board has yet to approve the format of the notice of violation letters to be sent out. Barber says they've had to go back and rework the original letters presented to the board in December. "Instead of a person getting one, two, or three letters or no letters, there would be one standard letter that goes out and just the areas of compliance and non-compliance would be checked-off in that letter, so that required going back and working with their legal counsel to develop it," said Barber. "But we've submitted a letter for approval that combines all the separate letters into one."

CLTC Director Jess Garcia is also working on his own internal audit into the agency which he hopes to be able to present to the board and to the Guam Legislature in the beginning of February. All of these efforts are being done with the ultimate goal of making the CLTC a more efficient, accountable, and reliable agency.

Agriculture groups have DEIS briefing

Agriculture groups have DEIS briefing

Posted: Jan 27, 2010 2:08 PM
Updated: Jan 27, 2010 2:08 PM

by Michele Catahay

Guam - A Draft Environmental Impact Statement briefing was held this morning with the Legislative Natural Resources Committee. The hearing provided an opportunity for officials with the Guam Fishermen's Co-Op, the Guam Organization of Saltwater and Anglers, the Guam Farmer's Co-Op and the Department of Agriculture to voice the concerns they have with the plans in the DEIS.

Fisherman's Co-Op President Manny Duenas expressed his disappointment with the military's plans to use the eastern side of the island for their firing range. "How you going to tell fishermen to keep out of that zone when fishermen go to the eastern side of the island, that's a safety issue. So that means that zone either has to be constantly closed and prohibited access or somebody's going to have to stand out there with a military boat to tell the fishermen you can't pass through or you can't fish in this zone, we're operating," he said.

DEIS outlines training procedures on Tiyan

DEIS outlines training procedures on Tiyan

Monday, 28 December 2009 04:27
by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff

THE proposed Tinian-based U.S. Marines training facilities cited in the draft environmental statement impact cites certain priorities for proper use and management focused on the areas including personnel, environmental and civilian safety.

According to the impact statement, the military would schedule any training activities one week in advance, and would also engage in public notification initiatives through the media.

Additionally, the draft study states that “biosecurity training would be coordinated through informal consultations,” with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources through regional training authority one-week prior to training events.

Environmental briefings, including brown tree snake control, would also be completed prior to departure.

Cultural resource briefing would be completed prior to departure. Authorized USDA inspectors would conduct inspection of supplies and equipment before such shipments bound for Tinian are to be cleared.

The construction of fences, security gates, and range flag poles would be constructed around designated training areas to ensure that necessary portions of the training site are “clear of non-participating personnel during live firing to avoid the potential for injury from ricochet or misdirected shots.”

The draft impact study also assumes that “access to the [military lease area] would be in accordance with Marine Corps safety regulations and would vary depending on the type of training activity that is being conducted. As an example, live-fire activities on proposed ranges would require limited access to the [lease area] on the eastern side of Tinian.”

Limitations to access and various security requirements would be “part of the standard operating procedures for all ranges. The extent of fencing has not been determined, but roads would be gated and range control personnel would survey the area for unauthorized people.

Available monitoring capabilities would be utilized to assure public safety during training events. Training units would have direct communications with range control, and would fly a large red flag when the [training area] is in use,” according to the study.

USDA eyes pilot study to increase availability of locally grown foods

USDA eyes pilot study to increase availability of locally grown foods

Friday, December 25, 2009

WASHINGTON-Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan recently announced a new pilot project under the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels-also known as hoop houses-to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way.

“There is great potential for high tunnels to expand the availability of healthy, locally-grown crops-a win for producers and consumers,” said Merrigan. “This pilot project is going to give us real-world information that farmers all over the country can use to decide if they want to add high tunnels to their operations. We know that these fixtures can help producers extend their growing season and hopefully add to their bottom line.”

The three-year, 38-state study will verify if high tunnels are effective in reducing pesticide use, keeping vital nutrients in the soil, extending the growing season, increasing yields, and providing other benefits to growers.

Made of ribs of plastic or metal pipe covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, high tunnels are easy to build, maintain and move. High tunnels are used year-round in parts of the country, providing steady incomes to farmers-a significant advantage to owners of small farms, limited-resource farmers and organic producers.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide financial assistance for the project through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the EQIP Organic Initiative, and the Agricultural Management Assistance program. NRCS will fund one high tunnel per farm. High tunnels in the study can cover as much as 5 percent of 1 acre.

Participating states and territories are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Pacific Islands, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

To sign up or learn more about EQIP assistance for high tunnel projects, contact a local NRCS office. (USDA)