The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on governments and international institutions to protect indigenous seeds, promote agroecology and strengthen food sovereignty as part of efforts to tackle hunger, malnutrition and climate change.
In a statement issued on Friday to mark World Food Day 2026, HOMEF, through its Media and Communications Lead, Kome Odhomor, urged governments to protect farmers’ rights and support sustainable food systems that preserve biodiversity and strengthen local agricultural communities.
Key Highlights
- HOMEF calls for stronger protection of indigenous seeds and farmers’ rights.
- The foundation identifies food sovereignty and agroecology as important to tackling hunger and climate change.
- Executive Director Nnimmo Bassey criticises monoculture and cash-crop farming for undermining agricultural diversity.
- HOMEF calls for policies that allow farmers to save, exchange and replant seeds.
- The organisation urges greater investment in local food systems and smallholder farmers.
HOMEF Links Food Sovereignty to Food Security
HOMEF said food sovereignty was essential to achieving food security, protecting biodiversity and improving the resilience of local farming communities.
The foundation noted that millions of people, particularly in Africa, continued to face hunger despite the continent’s abundant natural and human resources.
It attributed the situation to climate change, economic instability, conflicts and food systems that prioritise industrial production over agricultural diversity.
The organisation said World Food Day should provide an opportunity to examine the structural causes of hunger and the weaknesses of existing food systems.
Its Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, criticised monoculture and cash-crop farming, arguing that such practices could reduce agricultural diversity, weaken soil health and undermine farmers’ independence.
He urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to their food choices and support agricultural practices that protect the environment and strengthen local food production.
“Food sovereignty is the essential, missing piece in the currently proposed solutions to the food and climate crises,” Bassey said.
HOMEF Advocates Protection of Indigenous Seeds
Bassey described indigenous seeds as important sources of genetic diversity that could help farmers respond to drought, manage pests and improve nutrition.
He called for a transition towards agroecology, stressing that protecting indigenous seeds was essential to preserving biodiversity and sustaining healthy ecosystems.
HOMEF also called for increased investment in local food systems and improved access to agricultural knowledge and resources, particularly for smallholder farmers and marginalised communities.
The foundation maintained that future food systems should prioritise nutritious food, restore soil health, protect ecosystems and improve rural livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.
Joyce Brown Calls for Policies That Protect Farmers
HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Joyce Brown, said persistent hunger amid abundant natural resources reflected failures in political and economic choices.
Brown argued that food should be recognised as a fundamental human right rather than merely a commodity traded for profit.
She urged governments and international institutions to review policies that favour industrial exporters over small-scale farmers who supply local food markets.
Brown also warned that restrictions on farmers’ access to indigenous seeds could undermine nutrition and food security.
She cited Nigeria’s Plant Variety Protection Act, 2021, and called for policies that safeguard farmers’ rights to save, exchange and replant seeds.
Read also:
- Stop introducing GMOs into Nigeria’s food systems, HOMEF tells FG
- Superhighway: Ebonyi Community Demands Compensation for Destroyed Farms, Warns of Hunger
- HOMEF Demands Decommissioning Of Abandoned Oil Wells, Ecological Restoration In Akwa Ibom Communities
ERA/FoEN Deputy Director Defends Traditional Seed Practices
Mariann Bassey-Olsson, Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), described seed-saving as an act of resistance and cultural preservation.
She rejected the argument that industrial agriculture was the only viable means of feeding the world, noting that smallholder farmers had sustained communities for generations.
According to her, indigenous seeds represent centuries of agricultural knowledge and adaptation, enabling farmers to respond to local environmental conditions.
She stressed that farmers’ freedom to save, exchange and replant seeds was central to food sovereignty and agricultural independence.
HOMEF Raises Concerns Over Industrial Agriculture
The foundation cautioned against agricultural approaches it considers harmful to biodiversity, including genetic modification of crops, arguing that such approaches could increase farmers’ dependence on foreign corporations.
HOMEF called for greater investment in locally driven food production, improved access to agricultural knowledge and stronger support for smallholder farmers.
It said sustainable food systems should protect biodiversity, promote healthy soils and ensure that farming communities have greater control over their food production.
World Food Day 2026 Focuses on Food Systems
World Food Day is observed annually on October 16 to raise awareness of hunger and promote action towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.
For World Food Day 2026, HOMEF used the occasion to renew its call for food sovereignty, protection of indigenous seeds and agricultural policies that place farmers and local food systems at the centre of food security efforts.
For more agriculture news, follow us on X.
