The tentacles of American fast food chains that sell fried fatty food, sweet carbonated cold drinks and highly processed packaged snacks, have spread throughout Africa. They bring obesity, high blood pressure, heart attacks, sugar diabetes and other non-communicable diseases to communities who were once healthy. Even rural Africans, who not…
The dusty road through the rugged rocky landscape of Enkaba seemed an unlikely setting for EarthLore’s Seed Fair, held on 10 September 2025. Enkaba is situated some distance from Elukwatini, Mpumalanga, South Africa, and borders on the Nkhomazi Game Reserve. Wild animals, including elephants, sometimes move out of the park…
Seed of memories from the past, the present and the future will be planted in rich and fertile soil during the Eco-Mapping process in Bikita, Zimbabwe, from 6 to 10 October 2025 This is the culmination of many years of work that started 10 years ago when Method Gundidza returned…
Suko Seed Blessing ritual revived in Mazwimba, Venda, after 40 years “Seeds hold great cultural significance by representing new beginnings and the promise of generous harvests. The purpose of this sacred seed blessing ceremony is to invoke, inform and request the ancestral spirits to bless the seed, to process the…
For the first time, EarthLore Foundation’s annual South African Seed and Food Fair will be held in Venda. Limpopo, rather than in Mpumalanga province. The event will take place on Wednesday 11th October, from 9h00 to 16h30, in Mazwimba village, Vhembe district, in Venda. It is sure to be a…
Watch this inspiring visual journey showcasing EarthLore’s work since 2015 that focuses on seed, soil and culture – the very heart of EarthLore’s work.
A warm welcome to the 2023 Bikita Seed and Food Fair, which takes place today, 12 September, at Chamas Communal Garden, in Gangare Village, Bikita, Zimbabwe. This is the most important event on EarthLore’s calendar of celebrations of the Year of Millets. The theme of the Seed Fair is “Our…
By Natasha Zvemaruwa My first encounter with millet soon after arriving at the Turugare homestead, Bikita, Zimbabwe, was a deliciously bitter cup of maheu, a popular non-alcoholic beverage made, in this instance, with fermented millet and water. Simple, refreshing and highly nutritious! The full bowl of nyemba beans and the…
Induna Sifiso Zulu will be one of two South African farmers attending the Farmers’ Rights multi-stakeholder seminar on 25 October 2022 in Lusaka, Zambia, followed by other opportunities to engage and learn from farmers from several African countries. He is accompanied by Thombithini Ndwandwe, from Biowatch and Mashudu Takalani, EarthLore’s programme facilitator. The event is coordinated by the Geography Department at the University of Cape Town and other Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) partners, including EarthLore. It is part of the Farmers’ Rights campaign that links together seed fairs taking place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia through a virtual caravan.
Sifiso Zulu, in addition to being a traditional leader who is proud of his isiSwathi culture and traditions and understands the value and power of reviving them, is a committed and successful farmer using traditional seeds and traditional farming practices augmented by agroecology. He has been on several learning exchanges to other farming communities, and always returns to his home in Elukwatini, Mpumalanga, with seeds and knowledge to share. He was particularly inspired by his trip to the Bikita farming communities in Zimbabwe, in 2019.
EarthLore’s work focuses on rebuilding soils that have been damaged for decades through the use of poisonous chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The work also involves effective water harvesting techniques and the rehabilitation and protection of the broader landscape, including sacred natural sites. This approach helps to mitigate climate change and contributes to the general well-being of the planet.
The current campaign for Farmers’ Rights and the growing agroecology movement is fortunate to have the involvement of Induna Zulu who is young, energetic, enthusiastic and committed to a sustainable local food system that benefits local farmers, local communities, and boosts the local economy.
This recent interview with Induna Zulu clarifies his position on Farmers’ Rights and the importance of traditional seeds to farmers and farming communities. It was videoed at EarthLore’s annual Elukwatini Seed and Food Fair on 6 October 2022. He makes it clear that access to and sharing of traditional seeds is an ancient practice that dates back centuries and that current attempts by seed companies and governments to control traditional seeds will not succeed because farmers across the world are standing together and becoming a strong force to be reckoned with.
Mashudu Takalani, EarthLore’s programme facilitator in South Africa, will be attending the multi-stakeholder Farmers’ Rights symposium on 25th and 26th October in Lusaka, Zambia. The event is coordinated by the Geography Department at the University of Cape Town and other Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) partners, including EarthLore. The symposium is part of a Farmers’ Rights campaign, driven by our SKI partners, that links together seed fairs taking place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia through a virtual caravan. Unfortunately, it has not been possible for farmers to travel to all the venues and attend the different events, but they have been linking with each other via WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Farmers from all four countries will be attending the symposium in Lusaka where they will read statements that farmers have compiled addressing Farmers’ Rights and access to their traditional seeds. An objective of the campaign and the symposium is to increase awareness of the important role of small-scale farmers practicing agroecology and their vital contribution to an equitable, fair, and healthy food system.
This video has been narrated, edited and produced by Mashudu Takalani.
