Thematic Areas

Community Seed and Knowledge
We work with communities, who teach and train us on how to preserve their indigenous seed, and teach them agro-ecological practices.
Read news updates from the communities
Community Ecological Governance
We work closely with elders within communities so that they can pass down the ecological knowledge and customs practiced over generations.
Youth Culture and Biodiversity
The Youth, Culture and Biodiversity thematic area of aims to deepen peoples’ sense of belonging, with one another and with the earth in order to restore confidence eroded over years of marginalisation of indigenous ecological knowledge and practices.
Advocacy and communication & network practice and development
We recognise the importance of working in collaboration with others so that we create meaningful and wider impact.
Browse our publications

Community Seed and Knowledge

One of the common pressures faced by the ABN, and the rural communities with whom the partner organisations work, has been the tremendous push from governments and corporations to use hybrid and increasingly, genetically-modified seeds, which require costly inputs like fertilizers. Such costs are unaffordable to many African farmers especially as they struggle to cope with the affects of more frequent droughts and floods caused by climate change.

Also this “Green Revolution” type approach advocated by corporations harms biodiversity and concentrates the control of agriculture in corporate hands. Community Seed and Knowledge is an innovative ABN programme that responds to this situation and builds climate resilience, through reviving traditional seed diversity. It promotes ecological agriculture and local food sovereignty as the most effective and ethical way to feed the growing population and cope with climate change.

But, most importantly, it focuses on the central role of indigenous, locally-adapted seed and traditional knowledge, especially women’s knowledge.ilds climate resilience, through reviving traditional seed diversity. It promotes ecological agriculture and local food sovereignty as the most effective and ethical way to feed the growing population and cope with climate change. But, most importantly, it focuses on the central role of indigenous, locally-adapted seed and traditional knowledge, especially women’s knowledge.

Community Ecological Governance

1 2 3 4

For millennia, indigenous and local communities around the world have upheld the responsibilities of their great-great grandparents and their ancestors as the Custodians of Sacred Natural Sites and Territories. Elders within the community play a vital role in upholding the ecological knowledge and customs practiced over generations which maintain the well-being of Sacred Natural Sites, ecosystems, territories and local communities. These customary governance systems recognise Sacred Natural Sites and Territories as places where the laws of Earth can be read, and from which customs, spiritual practices and governance systems are derived to protect the territory as a whole. Therefore, Sacred Natural Sites and Territories are at the heart of ecological, spiritual and cultural practices, and governance systems of indigenous and local communities.

However, irrespective of their importance, Sacred Natural Sites and Territories across Africa are faced with increasing threats of destruction from economic and other developments which have also eroded the customary governance systems of their custodial communities.

Custodians of sacred ecosystems and elders who hold vital indigenous knowledge are also disappearing. The failure to respect sacred ecosystems has a direct impact on the lives and well-being of communities of present and future generations of all life. Since 2009, ABN has supported five partners to consolidate, integrate and further evolve innovative strategies of working with communities on Sacred Natural Sites & Territories and supporting governance systems.

The ABN core methodologies include: community dialogues to analyse and strengthen relevant traditional ecological knowledge and practices, and build community ecological governance capacity; the creation and use of eco-maps and calendars to facilitate agreement of land and biodiversity management and control, first within communities, and then with local and national governments.

These methods promote dialogue, analysis, and negotiation to identify, agree, and implement local solutions that increase local control and protection of ecosystems and community rights and responsibilities.

Youth Culture and Biodiversity

1 2 3 4

The Youth, Culture and Biodiversity (YCB) thematic area of ABN aims to deepen peoples’ sense of belonging, with one another and with the earth in order to restore confidence eroded over years of marginalisation of indigenous ecological knowledge and practices. The strategies being used to achieve this are to bridge the gap in knowledge between elders and youth on indigenous ecological knowledge, and lobby for inclusion of this knowledge in school curricula. In the past three years, the work has grown in its effectiveness and complexity and has been refined enough to be used in a wider context.

Children and youth are now taken to experience nature and culture and connect with themselves and engage through a range of proactive endeavors in both their schools and communities. In Ethiopia and South Africa, respective government offices are consulting ABN partners to advice on how to integrate traditional ecological knowledge in to the school system. Celebrations are happening in partner countries involving local communities and decision makers and building both the confidence and the identity of the community, which are some of the basis for resilience building.

Youth are actively involved in healing ecosystems and in campaigning when degradation happens due to various forces. In Ethiopia, youth who came out of this process are demonstrating credible leadership in critical positions in various government institutions and universities. Their confidence was build and their relationship with the earth strengthened.