Family farmers debate role of creole seeds

The term “protector of seeds” proves apt to refer to the knowledge of farmers in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The area, which covers slightly more than 1 million km², accounts for some 12 percent of Brazil’s territory, with part of the 21 million people seeking to curb the drought through techniques that make agriculture more likely to succeed.

Ready to exchange efficient growing practices, approximately 250 farmers, among them both men and women, gathered at the 5th Meeting of Experimental Farmers (5th ENAE) in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, one of the nine states in the semi-arid. At the event, farming experiences were shared in connection with creole seeds and seeds enhanced by research institutes.

After three years comparing the performance of the two types of seeds, agronomist Amaury Santos, who represented the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in the study carried out by farmers in Paraíba, concluded that creole seeds show remarkable adaptation to local conditions because they are always cultivated the same way, free of any form of hybridization—including artificial hybridization, conducted in laboratory, as is the case with genetically modified seeds. This makes them more resistant to drought spells, as they prove more stable in their development.

Santos, who has worked with creole seeds since 2008, explained that the study was conducted at the suggestion of the farmers themselves, who become protectors of genetic and food diversity by preserving a myriad of different seed types. The research, funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), was conceived when the agronomist became acquainted with a project dubbed Sementes da Paixão—Portuguese for Seeds of Passion—on seeds protected for generations by families of farmers in Cairiri, a semi-arid region in Paraíba. Similar initiatives are also seen in other states, like the Sementes da Resistência (Seeds of Resistence) in Alagoas, the Sementes da Gente (Seeds of the People), in Minas Gerais, and the Sementes da Fartura (Seeds of Plenty), in Piauí.

Altogether, over 1 thousand houses and community seed banks are estimated to be operational in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

Seeds of Passion

“I had the opportunity to work with [the farmers] on three tasks. One focused on making creole seeds well known. This goal came as part of the Seeds of Passion. To meet this goal, we did a lot of testing, comparing creole and conventional—not genetically modified—strains,” explained Amaury Santos, who works at Embrapa in the state of Sergipe. Another objective is to use technology to enhance seed production, he added. Finally, he mentioned storage and conservation for longer periods of time.

Santos said that the creole seeds play a key role in the communities of family farmers, as they promote their autonomy. They come in line with the figures disclosed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which indicate that over 80 percent of foods in the world are produced by family farming units. “Embrapa works in partnership with them,  combining our academic knowledge and the popular knowledge of the farmers, but it is important to note that they are the ones who have taken center stage,” he said.

Prejudice

Creole seeds have not always received the attention they deserve, he went on to note. “Sometimes, if you ask family farmers if they have creole seeds, they say they don’t. They do, but they say they don’t, because they’re embarrassed. Because they were often told it was a backward thing to do. So they’d often feel embarrassed and even throw them away, get rid of these seeds, which are part of a great heritage, recognized the world over, as heritage for all of mankind.”

Euzebio Cavalcanti, a farmer who lives in a rural settlement in Paraíba and a member of the Embrapa research team, said the initiative contributed significantly to his work. “The community came to cherish the tool it had in its hands. It was a remarkable achievement to see people feeling like the protectors of the land.”

“Embrapa took into account the dialog with the community, rather than researchers alone, as was the case before. The project also considered who the studies are aimed at—whether it’s for agribusiness or family farmers as well,” he said.

This year, Embrapa is expected to continue three projects connected with creole seeds, Amaury Santos said, one of them in the South, another in Goiás state, and the third in the semi-arid. All will be backed by the Brazilian Development Bank, BNDES.