Mutare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwean farmers are reviving drought-resistant traditional crops through a community seed bank, helping them cope with worsening climate variability. The initiative, rooted in indigenous knowledge, is strengthening food security and offering a safety net against future droughts and floods.
Issued on: 12/07/2026 - 15:57
4 min Reading time
Angeline Garwe monitors smallholder farmers bringing small grain seeds to a community seed bank after harvest in Chipinge, southeastern Zimbabwe. She checks whether the names on the tags correspond with the variety of the seeds and records all the details in her file. The 49-year-old woman from Kubatana Village is one of nearly 1,000 farmers who have established the Dumisai community seed bank, where they preserve seeds. Some traditional crop varieties are on the verge of extinction as hybrid crops take over. Through the seed bank, farmers can access seeds for years to come.
Some of the seeds stored in a community seed bank in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. © FAO
