G-BIACK: Farmer Managed Seed Systems in the Digital Age Founded in 2008 by husband and wife team Samuel Nderitu and Peris Wanjiru Nderitu, our International Partner for Africa, GROW BIOINTENSIVE Agriculture Centre of Kenya (G-BIACK), has trained over 25,000 farmers from Africa and beyond, established a seed bank in 2013 which stores and offers open-pollinated and indigenous seeds to the community, and teaches farmers to use and save seeds suited to their climate and culture. The following is an excerpt of GB-NEWS (Issue 15, August 2025 g-biack.org/publications/news-letters), describing how G-BIACK uses technology to protect small-scale seed-savers who can face regulatory challenges in Kenya. We estimate over 3.5 million people are practicing GB in Africa because of this and other programs, and we look forward to continuing our partnership. Seed-saving a vital part of GB. Asante sana G-BIACK Team!
But today, this foundation is under threat. Current seed policies and regulations in Kenya emphasize the certification and commercialization of seed, often favoring large companies and narrowing the definition of what counts as “legal” seeds. Many farmers find themselves in a difficult position: the very seeds they have saved and shared for decades are considered “informal,” even though they are central to household food security. The push towards certified hybrid and GMO varieties risks eroding the biodiversity that smallholder farmers have safeguarded for centuries.
It is a matter of farmers’ rights. Every farmer should have the right to keep, use and exchange their seeds without fear of criminalization or loss of access. Protecting farmer managed seed systems is about the future of food security in Kenya. This is why we have taken a step forward by linking tradition with technology. Over the past year, G-BiACK has been developing a Digital Seed Catalog System, a tool designed to document, protect, and amplify the value of indigenous seeds. Each entry in the catalog tells a story: where the seed came from, who shared it, its indigenous name, and the conditions it thrives in. Every seed is assigned a unique code and QR label, which connects physical seeds to digital records, making them traceable and visible beyond the confines of a single farm. Our hope is that through digitalization, we can amplify the voices of farmers and remind policymakers that seeds are not just commodities, they are life, culture, and future. As we continue to grow this work, we invite partners, communities, and policymakers to recognize that defending farmer-managed seed systems is defending food security itself. Because the right to keep our seeds is the right to keep our future. The path forward must protect biodiversity, uphold farmers’ rights, and embrace innovation. ♥
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For generations, farmers across Kenya have managed,
saved, and exchanged their own seeds. These farmer managed
seed systems (FMSS) are the foundation of food sovereignty,
ensuring that communities retain control over
what they plant, eat, and pass on to the next generation.
Long before modern seed companies entered the picture,
indigenous seeds, carefully selected and shared were the
basis of resilience, culture, and nutrition.
