The Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe is set to host the National Seed Fair 2024 on September 13 at the Harare Botanical Gardens with the aim to display Zimbabwe’s agricultural diversity and resilience of the country’s traditional seeds and foods, vital to food security amid the challenges posed by climate change.
This annual event, which is free and open to all Zimbabweans, promises to be a day of celebration, education, and exchange, focusing on the country’s traditional seeds and foods.
Under the theme “Celebrating the Diversity and Resilience of Zimbabwean Foods,” the 2024 fair provides a platform for showcasing crops that have weathered Zimbabwe’s most recent climate crises.
The fair will feature a Seed Market where attendees can discover, share, and purchase seeds for resilient and nutritious Zimbabwean plants and vegetables. Knowledgeable vendors will be on hand to provide advice and tips on seed selection and cultivation. Additionally, the Traditional Gourmet Food Court will offer a variety of dishes from local chefs and food vendors, showcasing the rich culinary traditions of Zimbabwe.
PELUM Zimbabwe Programmes Coordinator, Theophilus Mudzindiko, emphasized the fair’s importance. “We are inviting all Zimbabweans to come and celebrate our traditional seeds and foods. It’s not just a festival but an opportunity to exchange, share, and trade knowledge, seeds, and ideas for a resilient future.”
The event will also include performances by popular artists Mbeu and Elysium Magma, as well as traditional dance and drama, making it a family-friendly affair. Interactive workshops and demonstrations on sustainable practices will be led by experts in agroecology, providing valuable information on how to maintain the health and productivity of the land.
The 2023/2024 farming season, devastated by an El Niño-induced drought, highlighted the need for sustainable agricultural practices, making this event timely and essential.
The 2024 National Seed Fair will also foster international collaboration, welcoming participants from over 30 African countries, reflecting the growing importance of agroecology across the continent.
“This is an event not to miss. Come and unlearn and relearn about who we are as Zimbabweans,” Mudzindiko said. “Our ancestors thrived on these foods, and we want to demonstrate how we can too, in this ever-changing climate.”
