This text is part of the special International Solidarity section
What if the solution to the growing phenomenon of hunger in the world came from seeds? Here as elsewhere, farmers have gradually been stripped of their ability to produce their own seeds, so that every year they have to buy new ones. A dependency that several associations are trying to put an end to.
Almost every second, someone dies of hunger in the world, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, sadly recalled on October 16, on the occasion of World Food Day.
“There is really a failure in the current food system,” laments Geneviève Talbot, program manager for the Africa division of SUCO, an international solidarity organization founded in 1961 in Montreal, and which works in 11 African countries. West and the Americas, including Canada.
Climate change, social inequalities, economic instability… There are many factors explaining this distressing situation. According to SUCO, a viable food system is defined by coherence and concern for sustainability, from agricultural production to the management of residual materials, including marketing and compliance with the standards of national food guides.
“The role of seeds is key, because it is the entry point for agricultural production,” explains M.me Talbot. Farmers must be able to access quality, long-lasting seeds, allowing them to produce crops capable of supporting the entire cycle of a viable food system. »
Healthy seeds, but also adapted to the climate in which they are sown and to the consumption of the local population, are the basis of a good food system, according to the specialist. She cites the Ivory Coast as an example, where SUCO works, in partnership with local organizations, to change agricultural policies and get them out of the “food sector” mentality, while the two largest national productions are the cocoa and coffee.
“Cocoa and coffee don’t feed the population. And people don’t drink coffee! »
Quebec seeds
If there are many challenges abroad, there is also a lot of work to be done at home, in the field of seeds, recalls Hugo Martorell, coordinator of the regional program in Quebec for Sème l’avenir, a non-profit organization. whose mission is to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of seeds produced in the province.
Surprising fact: the vast majority of our vegetable seeds are imported. Certainly, an artisanal seed system supplies Quebec gardeners on a daily basis, but large producers must import their seeds from abroad.
“I think the public is not really aware of that,” says Mr. Martorell. We are seeing more and more interest in artisanal seeds… But when we buy food in our grocery stores or public markets, their original seed is not produced in Quebec. »
However, “without seed autonomy, we have no food autonomy,” he says. Sow the Future works with farmers who want to develop seeds that are more resilient to climate change and better adapted to our climate, in addition to learning how to reproduce their own seeds, knowledge that has unfortunately been lost over the generations .
Because if food autonomy was previously considered a utopia, since COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, a large part of the population has become aware of the importance of being interested in it, notes Geneviève Talbot.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.