Home Institution
Occidental College
Publication Date
Spring 2024
Abstract
How sustainable are peasant seeds? I answer this question on the basis of three elements: environment, economy, and social justice. Using interviews with farmers from various regions of Tunisia, an interview with an expert on climate change and migration, and an interview with a civil society organization working to promote sustainable agriculture, I found that peasant seeds are a sustainable solution for a suffering agricultural sector. Depleted water sources and drought are bringing to light the problems with water-intensive hybrid seeds, and farmers are losing money. As young men increasingly leave the agricultural sector, women are left behind, finding themselves subjected to unjust labor conditions. Peasant seeds, which are suited to the Tunisian climate and have been developed throughout generations of Tunisian farmers, allow farmers to adapt to climate change while spending less on input costs. It also functions as an adaptation strategy available to women and the poor, unlike migration. As the impacts of climate change become increasingly clear, achieving food sovereignty through the use of sovereign seeds becomes increasingly urgent.
Disciplines
Agriculture | Climate | Food Security | Sustainability | Water Resource Management
Recommended Citation
Carlson, Alice, "Sovereign Seeds: Analyzing the Sustainability of Peasant Seeds in the Context of Climate Change and Rural Exodus in Tunisia" (2024). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3800.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3800
Included in
Agriculture Commons, Climate Commons, Food Security Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
Program Name
Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean