For African countries that are preserving their biodiversity, domesticating wild animals and plants can be a promising avenue for strengthening food systems and creating totally new value chains. That will also liberate African communities from depending on corporate hybrids that are causing several health challenges to many populations. What prevents African countries from producing diverse leafy vegetables throughout the year? Imagine what difference producing Okok, Nyevhe and several other vegetables under irrigation would make. In Southern Africa, the only bird that has been domesticated from the wild is the guinea fowl and, to some extent, wild duck.
Bringing indigenous food closer to households
Domesticating wild animals like the Hare, Njiri, Tsenzi and many others will not only bring natural food closer to households but will also empower communities to protect these animals and plants including endangered species. Leaving small animals in the wild can actually expose them to extinction because no one will know whether they are increasing or being affected by climate change. Hares, sambani, squirrels, nungu, wild pigs and many other small animals that co-exist with human beings and are rarely part of national parks. Communities assume these animals are under national parks but these animals prefer staying in mountain ranges and river valleys close to people. Lessons and inspiration can be drawn from the increasing consumption of wild fruits that is seeing these fruits commercializing themselves by inserting themselves in African territorial markets. This has triggered domestication of wild fruit tree seedlings in ways that are actually leading to the protection of wild fruit trees as communities see more value in the form of food security and income.
Tapping into the multi-purpose nature of indigenous food
Instead of continuing with the promotion of hybrids and monoculture, African food specialists can learn a lot from how territorial markets value the multi-purpose nature of indigenous food. What makes African territorial markets an integral component of agroecology and indigenous food systems is how they demonstrate the extent to which indigenous seed and food have multi-purpose uses from seed to food and to beverages, among other uses. While the industrial food system has tried to mimic this relationship, where it falls short from the traditional knowledge-driven territorial market system is that the industrial system has delinked seed from food by producing seed in laboratories and preserving it with chemicals. Industrially-produced and chemically-preserved seed cannot be retained for reproduction. For instance, when industrial maize is harvested, the seed cannot be replanted to produce more food. Vegetable seed cannot be retained from hybrid cabbage, Onion and many other industrially-produced commodities that have been separated from original seed. After consuming oranges or apples, farmers who decide to plant seed from these fruits do not harvest anything. Some industrial varieties designed for processing only and not for multiple uses.
Strong indigenous links between seed and food
In African territorial markets, seed is not delinked from food so that seed harvested from indigenous vegetables like Nyevhe, Mowa, Mutsine and others can be easily available in communities for continuous production. Finger millet, pearl millet, sorghum, yams like magogoya and many other indigenous commodities can be planted as seed and harvested as food. In fact, seed and food from these commodities have similar characteristics in terms of shape, size, colour and other natural features. The multi-purpose nature of finger millet implies it can be consumed as a raw, it can be processed into mealie-meal and can be fermented into traditional beverages. Finger millet and other small grains are sources of several varieties of traditional beverages ranging from less alcoholic mahewu to different kinds of beers as determined by multi-purpose uses. For instance, mahewu can be a household drink for a family. Some beer can be consumed at community functions such as traditional ceremonies or collective planting and harvesting of crops. Some beers are part of cultural functions such as rainmaking ceremonies where industrial drinks are forbidden.
Giving agroecology an indigenous face
The increasing demand and presence of indigenous poultry in African territorial markets shows how agroecology and indigenous food systems are alternatives to industrial production of broilers and layers. Why should knowledge and seed used to produce chickens be hidden from farmers and consumers? While proponents of industrial poultry production have ensured the scientific knowledge on breeding and producing eggs is hidden in scientific formulae and laboratories not known to farmers and consumers, in agroecology and indigenous practices, knowledge on poultry production including natural chicken mating and fertilization of eggs is shared publicly in farming communities and territorial markets. Allowing communities to domesticate wild animals and plants will bring to the surface unique Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) that are currently suppressed by industrial agriculture systems.
God-given fruits are also seed because from eating the fruit, a seed is left out to germinate and produce the same fruits. Mapfura, Matohwe, Masawu, Mawuyu, Nyii, all have natural characteristics that enable seed to be recycled from food to seed. After enjoying the fruit, you can go and plant. This is also typical of edible insects like Macimbi whose regeneration mimic seed. This is the concept of the natural ecosystem that generate food without much human effort and knowledge. Indigenous food responds to specific micro climates. It is the same story with indigenous chicken and wild animals. Why should chickens only be produced for consumption without knowledge or access too seed? This is the case with broilers. Proponents of industrial poultry production made sure the knowledge is closed from consumers and farmers. This is different from indigenous food systems which are characterized by natural processes in which local communities and territorial markets are the natural laboratories.
Charles@knowledgetransafrica.com / charles@emkambo.co.zw /
Website: www.emkambo.co.zw / www.knowledgetransafrica.com
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