Voices for Seed Sovereignty: A Civil Society Guide to Policy Engagement

Introducing the FMSS Advocacy Messaging Handbook

The Kampala declaration instructed to “Address rural development issues by promoting farmer-managed seed systems (Strategic objective 1, CAADP Strategy & Action Plan 2026-2035)”. Seeds seem to be at their highest interest at AUC.

Therefore it is essential that African Seed sovereignty promoters speak with one clear and united voice. In response, AFSA — the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa — has developed this Advocacy Messaging Handbook to equip activists, community leaders, and policy advocates with bold, evidence-based messages that defend and promote FMSS.

At the heart of the handbook are five key advocacy messages designed to guide civil society in influencing national, regional, and continental policies on FMSS. These messages:

1. Anchor FMSS policy in agroecology
   FMSS are at the core of sustainable food systems and must be supported through policies that promote agroecological approaches, respect for ecosystems, traditional knowledge, and community rights.
2. Establish a sui generis regulatory regime for FMSS
   FMSS require a specific legal framework that reflects their collective, customary, and dynamic nature — distinct from commercial seed systems.
3. FMSS are commons, not markets
   Farmers’ seeds are part of the commons. They must be shielded from commodification and recognised as a living heritage shared and stewarded by communities.
4. Design and deploy inclusive funding mechanisms for FMSS
   Public policy must ensure equitable, accessible financial support for FMSS — including investment in research, infrastructure, training, and seed exchange networks.
5. Recognise FMSS as guardians and breeders of biodiversity
   Farmers are not just users of seeds; they are active breeders and stewards of agricultural biodiversity through their daily seed selection, conservation, and innovation.

Grounded in case studies, grassroots experience, and strong policy analysis, this handbook is more than a list of messages — it is a tool for collective advocacy and a continental call to action for a future where African farmers remain the custodians of seed, knowledge, and resilience.