Joyful celebration and resilience are apt words to describe the annual Bikita Seed and Food Fair, hosted this year by Chirambaguyo Garden, Mutsinzwa village. A large gathering of more than 780 people arrived at the venue on 5 September 2024, slightly down on the 800 plus people who attended last year’s event. The theme of this year’s event, Celebrating the Resilience of Traditional Seeds, was particularly appropriate with many parts of southern Africa experiencing drought. The Seed and Food Fair provided evidence that robust traditional seeds are resilient and well adapted to the climate, and able to survive extreme weather conditions, like the current drought. It also revealed the resilience of the joyful farmers, mainly women, who tend the traditional crops whatever the weather.
The farmers and the EarthLore team had been a little concerned about holding the Seed Fair this year because of the ongoing drought caused by El-Ninõ, with February to March being the driest in the last 40 years 1. This affected most rain-fed crops across Zimbabwe, resulting in some farmers in Bikita not even planting seeds this year. On the day of the fair, an astounding 270 farmers had laid out their displays. This was not markedly less than the 300 plus exhibits last year.
The farmers proudly showcased the traditional seeds they have revived together with produce from their home and community gardens and fields, plus fruits, foods and medicinal plants harvested from the wild.They also displayed their crafts, interesting containers made from a variety of calabashes, carved wooden artefacts and beautifully woven winnowing baskets, perfect for fruit and vegetables. The most noticeable difference was the lower quantities and diversity of seed on offer, and, to those with a discerning eye, the seeds were not in the same prime condition as they were last year. The description used by the farmers for the somewhat shrunken and shrivelled seeds is that they are blind. Yet, in the midst of such evident diminishing yields, some farmers produced more than 5 varieties of the same crop in their household seedbanks.
At the local level, this annual event draws together farmers, friends, neighbours, the traditional leadership and government officials. It was an honour to have in attendance the chief of Chirorwe and other headmen from three of the six Bikita communities EarthLore works with, as well as the Paramount Chief Budzi, guest of honour, who spoke about the importance of agriculture and the relevance of the work EarthLore and the farmers are engaged in. There was a large government presence, with a good turn out of local councillors, 12 agricultural extension officers (who helped with the scoring of the displays) and their supervisor, as well as representatives from the President’s Office.
The presence of a celebrity like the comedian Sabhuku Varazipi, a household name and a familiar face on TV in Zimbabwe, further elevated the status of the event. He was one of the Master of Ceremonies and his witty, insightful comments and escapades had everyone in fits of laughter. Sabhuku was introduced to EarthLore by the Zimbabwe Organic Small Holder Farmers Forum (ZimSOFF), one of EarthLore’s civil society organisation (CSO) partners, who assists with agroecology training. Other CSO partners who came to the event were Ziva Kwawakabva Trust and Environmental Management Trust (EMT). Finally, the attendance of partners in the Earth Jurisprudence Collective from Benin (represented by the King), Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa, left no doubt that while the work is local, its importance extends far beyond Bikita.
1 FEWS NET. Zimbabwe Key Message Update July 2024: Below-normal incomes are impacting market access as the 2024/25 lean season begins early, 2024
