African Biodiversity Network

African Biodiversity Network The ABN is a network of organizations & individuals seeking African solutions to the environmental & socio-economic challenges on the continent.

ABN works with partners from East, West, South, Central & North Africa with strategic partners in UK, Spain,.

participated in a Pre-SBSTTA Workshop for Kenyan and African NGOs on 24 July 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya at the French Emba...
25/07/2026

participated in a Pre-SBSTTA Workshop for Kenyan and African NGOs on 24 July 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya at the French Embassy. The workshop convened by BIBA Kenya, the ETC Group, Third World Network (TWN), the Rio Institute and the Wangari Githaiga Advocates, aims to strengthen the capacity of African civil society, scientific, and policy actors to engage meaningfully in discussions on synthetic biology, biosafety, and biodiversity governance within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

On 7 July 2026, the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) hosted a Moringa-Based Food Fair and Seedling Distributi...
08/07/2026

On 7 July 2026, the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) hosted a Moringa-Based Food Fair and Seedling Distribution Event with the Wedajo community, beneficiaries of the -ISD project "Enhancing Agroecology and Agroforestry for Resilient and Integrated Food Systems in Africa," supported by Brot für die Welt.

Moringa has grown in the area for years, but was traditionally used only occasionally for medicine and mostly as camel fodder. This event opened up a much bigger conversation about the tree's nutritional, medicinal, environmental, and livelihood value.
Government representatives, Wollo University, youth, women, elders, spiritual leaders, and farmers came together to share knowledge, cook Moringa-based dishes, and explore an exhibition of indigenous food and seed varieties. Around 1,000 Moringa seedlings were distributed to the community.
Local women also led the traditional "Erfo Mereba" prayer ceremony, a powerful reminder that culture, biodiversity, and community well-being are inseparable.
This is what resilient, indigenous-knowledge-rooted food systems look like on the ground.

Through our partners Seed Savers Network, Kenya, we have the first Eastern Africa Indigenous Seed conference in Nairobi ...
11/06/2026

Through our partners Seed Savers Network, Kenya, we have the first Eastern Africa Indigenous Seed conference in Nairobi in November this year. This is a great opportunity for East Africans to add their voice to this and participate in Realizing the Right to Food through seed sovereignty. It is a great opportunity for learning and exchange from practices in different countries in the Eastern Africa region.

Follow the link for more information regarding the conference as well as registration

https://eaindigenousseedconference.org/

Today, we celebrate the vital role our oceans play in sustaining life, livelihoods, and biodiversity across the planet.I...
08/06/2026

Today, we celebrate the vital role our oceans play in sustaining life, livelihoods, and biodiversity across the planet.
In Benin, Nature Tropicale is working at the frontline of coastal and marine conservation, protecting fragile ecosystems, supporting local communities, and promoting sustainable resource management.
Through its partnership with the African Biodiversity Network ( ), this work is strengthened by shared knowledge, community-led approaches, and a commitment to restoring harmony between people and nature.
From mangrove restoration to community awareness and advocacy, this collaboration highlights the power of locally rooted solutions in safeguarding our oceans for future generations.
As we mark , we are reminded that protecting our oceans is not just an environmental priority, it is a collective responsibility.

06/06/2026

At the 4th Pan-African Seed and Governance Conference in N'Djamena , a conversation I believe is one of the most important and urgently underattended in African development right now. 's Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Coordinator, Dennis Denver Mwange presented a summary discussion on the topic: Digitalisation of Farmer Seed variety data.

🌱 What we know:
Africa's smallholder farmers, particularly women, are the custodians of thousands of indigenous and locally adapted seed varieties that science is only beginning to understand. These seeds hold centuries of ecological intelligence: drought tolerance, pest resistance, nutritional richness, and climate adaptation that no laboratory has yet replicated.

What is changing fast:
Those seeds can now be mapped, sequenced, and stored digitally as Digitally Sequenced Information (DSI). GPS and AI can characterise and simulate seed sequences to ~90% accuracy. Cloud computing means thousands of varieties can be stored without physical space. Data, as we now know, is the new oil, and Africa's community seed knowledge has immense global value.

⚠️ The risk? The global frameworks that govern physical seeds- the CBD, the Nagoya Protocol, ITPGRFA- do NOT yet adequately cover digital sequence data. Seed DSI can be copied, accessed, and commercially exploited without community consent and without benefit sharing reaching the farmers who created and maintained those seeds across generations.

🛡️ What we proposed
1️⃣ Build institutional capacity, from farmer level to universities, to understand, manage, and protect seed data
2️⃣ Institutionalise legal frameworks that recognise Digital Sovereignty and introduce binding benefit-sharing mechanisms
3️⃣ Map, catalogue, and self-digitize our seeds NOW, before others do it for us, with FPIC embedded from the start
4️⃣ Advocate at the AU level for a continental DSI rights framework that centres African farmers
And critically, this is not just a technical problem. It is a governance, rights, and justice problem.
CSOs must advocate and monitor. Farmer organisations must lead cataloguing and claim ownership of their data. Youth must bridge the digital literacy gap in communities. Women, who are the primary custodians of neglected and minor seed varieties, must be at the centre of every decision made about seed data governance

🌍 The call to action is clear:
Start national seed catalogues now — before others digitize Africa's heritage.
Secure national budgets for biodigitization capacity.
Build an Africa-led, community-owned seed data commons.
Push the AU to champion Digital Sovereignty for seeds.

The conference was organized by AFSA in partnership with (PEPAF-CHAD) and SWISSAID.

Fassil Yelemtu Seed Savers Network, Kenya BIBA Kenya Brot für die Welt Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity

As the world marked the International Environment Day on 5th June 2026This year's theme on Climate Action arrives at a m...
06/06/2026

As the world marked the International Environment Day on 5th June 2026

This year's theme on Climate Action arrives at a moment when the Earth is no longer sending warnings. It is sending proof.
Rising temperatures. Shrinking forests. Disrupted seasons. Failing harvests.
At the African Biodiversity Network, we have watched these signals arrive not in reports, but in the hands of farmers, women and men across 19 African countries whose seed selections are now being shaped by rains that no longer come when they should, and soils that are growing warmer and thinner.

But we have also watched something else. Farmers are selecting, saving, and sharing the varieties that survive. Not because a climate model told them to. Because their grandmothers taught them to read the land, and that knowledge, passed down and fiercely protected, is one of Africa's most powerful climate responses.

🌱 Farmer-managed seed systems are climate action.
🌱 Agroecological practices are climate action.
🌱 Sacred Natural Sites and community forest governance are climate action

So today, we say this:

The signals from the Earth are loud.
The signals from African communities have always been there.
We therefore need to listen to both

Happening now in N'djamena Chad, is taking part in the 4th Panafrican Seed Conference organized by Alliance for Food S...
02/06/2026

Happening now in N'djamena Chad, is taking part in the 4th Panafrican Seed Conference organized by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA ) , SWISSAID and Pepaf-tchad under the theme: From Seed soveregnty to Genetic Sovereignty at L'Amitie Hotel N'Djamena. During the conference, participants are set to
1. Analyze the continental Policy Framework for Farmer Managed Seed Systems (FMSS) in relation to other continental provisions on seeds.
2. Define strategies for transposing this continental framework at the national (country) level.
3. Build participants capacity to to influence financial flowsand the digitalization of agriculture towards agroecology.
Seed Savers Network, Kenya , Fassil Yelemtu Dennis Denver Mwange BIBA Kenya Brot für die Welt Anne Maina

The General Coordinator, Fassil Yelemtu engaged in an interactive dialogue with a group of young volunteers from secon...
13/03/2026

The General Coordinator, Fassil Yelemtu engaged in an interactive dialogue with a group of young volunteers from secondary schools, universities, and the private sector. The discussion focused on the core themes of the agroecology, agrobiodiversity, and sustainable food systems project.

The session explored how these interconnected areas are critical to sustaining life on Earth and building resilient livelihoods. Young participants openly shared concerns about their future, noting that the current education system often does not adequately prepare them for a highly competitive job market. Many also reflected on the pressure and distraction created by constant exposure to information through technology and social media, which can sometimes distance young people from real-life opportunities on the ground.

Through dialogue and practical examples, the discussion emphasized the importance of reconnecting with nature, culture, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Participants were encouraged to consider how agriculture and biodiversity conservation can offer meaningful pathways for employment, entrepreneurship, and community development, particularly for young people seeking sustainable livelihoods.

The exchange also created space for participants to reflect on the role youth can play in the implementation of the project and in collaborating with CEVASTE. The young volunteers expressed strong interest in supporting such initiatives, recognizing that engagement in agroecology and biodiversity work can strengthen their skills and better prepare them for real-world challenges.

As part of the engagement, the youth also visited CEVASTE’s community seed bank, where they learned about its purpose, management, and importance in safeguarding local seed diversity. The seed bank serves as a community-level backup system to ensure seed availability, complementing traditional household seed storage practices and strengthening local food sovereignty.

Brot für die Welt

11/03/2026

For over 20 years, the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) has worked across Africa to strengthen resilient communities and restore biodiversity.

At the launch of a new initiative on agroecology, agro-biodiversity, and sustainable food systems, ABN General Coordinator Fassil Yelemtu emphasized that this work is not a one-off project but a long-term process built on learning, collaboration, and continuity.

The meeting brings together diverse stakeholders, from scientists and academics to policymakers, media, and development partners, to understand the journey behind the initiative and contribute their knowledge to its implementation.

Real transformation requires sustained engagement, shared learning, and collective action.

Brot für die Welt

is pleased to participate in the launch and inception meeting of a new regional project led by our partner, CEVASTE (C...
11/03/2026

is pleased to participate in the launch and inception meeting of a new regional project led by our partner, CEVASTE (Centre d'Expérimentation, de Valorisation de l'Agroécologie, des Sciences et Techniques Endogènes). The meeting happening from 10–14 March 2026 and brings together key partners and stakeholders committed to strengthening agroecology and resilient food systems across Africa.

Representating the ABN Secretariat, the General Coordinator, Fassil Yelemtu is taking part in this important milestone event. The initiative marks the beginning of a three-year collaborative project (2025–2028) supported by Brot für die Welt.

The project aims to enhance agroecology, protect agrobiodiversity, and promote resilient food systems by strengthening collaboration among communities, researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors. It reflects ABN’s continued commitment to supporting Indigenous knowledge systems, farmer-managed seed systems, and sustainable agricultural practices across the continent.

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OAU Road House No. 60
Thika
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