DAR ES SALAAM : AT least 100 stakeholders from 25 countries in Africa, Europe and US will meet in Dar es Salaam for a three-day meeting to brainstorm over indigenous seeds, which largely contribute to food security in the African continent.
National coordinator of the Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO), Mr Abdallah Mkindi informed that the meeting will start from tomorrow until Wednesday.
"The participants will look into the fate of the traditional seeds, which are not being prioritised in policies and laws," Mr Mkindi told journalists on Saturday in Dar es Salaam.
He emphasised that research shows that indigenous seeds are safe and reliable for food. "From August 14 to 16, more than 100 stakeholders from 25 countries across Africa, Europe and the United States are convening in Dar es Salaam.
The main agenda is to discuss the fate of these seeds," he said. He said the conference is organised jointly by the African Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA), TABIO and SwissAid. He explained that Tanzania is hosting the event because TABIO is a member of AFSA, which has members throughout Africa.
He added that Tanzania will be represented by TABIO, SwissAid, a representative from the Parliament, government and other institutions in the seed and agricultural chain. Mkindi listed the participating countries as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Spain, Norway, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Australia.
Others include Togo, Mali, Benin, Chad, Tunisia, Niger, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, DR Congo, and Gabon."
