International seeds day: celebrating organic farming

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International Seeds Day is synonymous with farmer rights and advocating for organic farming. The yearly celebration of 26 April sees farmers, seed companies and organic food activists highlight the beauty and purpose of a seed.
The main purpose behind this day is to encourage seed saving and to inform interested parties about organic food production, farmer rights and patent-free seeds.
The history behind International Seeds Day is forged in a political tug of war between farmers, agri-companies and governments in Europe and Asia. However, the day marks the opportunity to remind farmers and the public alike about important topics surrounding obtaining and planting seeds, as well as organic food.

Interestingly, when looking at the topic of organic food, a study conducted in 2017 by IRi worldwide, reported that approximately 75% of consumers in South Africa choose to buy organic food. This was done for a combination of reasons such as striving for better health, as well as accommodating food intolerances. Many also cited the concern around the cold chain as a reason and therefore choosing to buy organic produce assured them of higher quality products.
The study proved two things:
- Heightened awareness in consumers about what they put in their bodies, and
- A larger than expected market for organic products in South Africa.
Organic farming focuses on developing healthy fertile soil, diversification and not using drugs and antibiotics on livestock. Some techniques include crop rotation, green weed management and planting cover crops as well as doing away with synthetic chemicals. Non-GMO seeds are mostly used.
For producers, the benefits of organic farming include:
- Lower water pollution
- Higher soil fertility
- Lower input costs in some cases
Many farmers in Africa are smallholder farmers, and farming forms an important part of their livelihoods. In South Africa in particular, organic farming has already gained popularity amongst approximately 82% of farmers as indicated by a study conducted in 2021. But the same study still highlights a lack of training, information and ease of certification.