We see an erosion of knowledge about our agrobiodiversity all over Africa, Million Belay says. Culture is at the centre of agrobiodiversity protection, he argues, and Africa’s agriculture policies should support this. There is a better way to feed Africa while maintaining our cultural practices in harmony with nature.
I was chatting with my mother when a woman carrying grasses and flowers entered the house. The two greeted each other and the lady carefully unwrapped the shawl that she covered her load with, presenting a variety of grasses and flowers. It was the 11th of September, Ethiopian New Year, and the visit was part of Atete, a women’s ritual. My mother sat gracefully on a stool wearing her hand-made cotton dress and layers of beads around her neck. The kinche, a dish made with a special type of wheat, ghee and spices, was ready to be served.
My mother received four varieties of grass from her visitor and explained to me how each of them were used. The traditional fifth type of grass was missing. The place where this variety was always collected had been converted to a flower farm.
This little story transmits how I feel about agrobiodiversity. It shows how culture is at the centre of agrobiodiversity protection. The variety of spices that our mothers put in their ghee, the grass and the flower species that the visitor brought: they are all central to our culture. The grasses do not grow in degraded land, so a healthy ecosystem is another critical factor for agricultural biodiversity to thrive.
My total ignorance about the uses of these grasses symbolises the erosion of knowledge about our agrobiodiversity. We see this all over Africa: the present generation understands and appreciates little of the richness and diversity of crops, animals, vegetables and nutrition, or how to handle our seeds and food.
The biggest concern for me is Africa’s agriculture policies. As farmers, we have been told time and again that we are backward, ignorant, lazy and corrupt. We are pressured to relinquish large tracts of land to companies; orient agriculture to the market; use plenty of agricultural chemicals; become profit-driven entrepreneurs; forget our seeds and depend on external supplies. But I am convinced that this path will lead us to further loss of our agricultural biodiversity.
I think there is a better way to feed Africa while still maintaining our cultural practices in harmony with nature. We can produce healthy food in plentiful amounts through agro-ecological practices, while reviving our ecosystems, ensuring that traditional ecological knowledge passes on to the next generation, linking farmers with consumers and keeping our seeds in the hands of farmers.
Dr Million Belay
Dr Million Belay is the director of the Movement for Ecological Learning and Community Action (MELCA), Ethiopia, and the co-ordinator of the Africa Food Sovereignty Alliance. Farming Matters welcomes Dr Belay as regular columnist throughout 2014.
E-mail: millionbelay@gmail.com
