ReSCOPE Programme: Youth and Smallholder Farmers Championing Farmer Seed Systems and Agroecology to Enhance Food Sovereignity and Nutrition in Ten Communities in East and Southern Africa.

Lead Organization: ReSCOPE Programme

Partner Organizations: SCOPE branches in five African countries

Location(s): Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Award: $95,000 over 24 months

The RESCOPE Program will establish smallholder farmer led seed banks in ten communities across East and Southern Africa to enhance food sovereignty, nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods and resilience. They will implement an innovative strategy of using schools as centers of agroecology demonstrations and community seed banks. They will groom young farmer seed champions who will learn and exchange knowledge with the older generation in their communities. To counter new national seed laws favoring genetically modified seeds. RESCOPE promotes community seed systems as a critical response, and a way to build resilience in the face of climate change. It sees community owned seeds as a cornerstone of nutrition and food sovereignty. The collaborative will train and create groups of farmers and youth on seed issues and supportive agroecological practices. Each farmer seed group will save and multiply local seeds and establish community seed banks which will culminate in a network of household seed banks.