There were meetings, discussions, exchange of seeds, screening of documentaries and art performances. The activity had the special participation of small scale farmers committed to family farming sustainability.

The Seed Festival was organized by: The National Network of Native Seeds, Redes – Friends of the Earth Uruguay, the Program Uruguay Sustentable, the School of Agronomy of the University of the Republic (UdelaR), the National Commission of Rural Promotion, Pindo Azul NGO and the Center Agustin Ferreiro (which depends on the Department of rural Education of the Primary School Education Council).

“If we do not keep our seeds we are doomed. We will totally depend on agribusiness, which brings about soil destruction”, Ana Cardenas told Real World Radio. She is a farmer of Cerro de la Aldea, in Tacuarembo department.

Ana and her husband have ten cows and they have decided to take up diary farming eight years ago. They have been part of the Seed Network since 2004. Together they make cheese and sell it in the local Sunday market and also in some local grocer’s. “We live on this” she said.

The Native Seed Network, one of the organizers of the festival, comprises family farming groups from all over Uruguay, the School of Agronomy of the University of the Republic and REDES-Friends of the Earth Uruguay. Together they coordinate the Program to Save and Appreciate Native Seeds and for Food Sovereignty, which began in 2004.

Ana says the Seed Network is a space for farmers to exchange and together become stronger, especially by including young people. “Me and my husband are not able to sow seeds, so we couldn’t contribute much to the network. But we are trying to keep the natural meadow, to avoid the intensive use of soil”.

The Seed Festival took place amid a controversy over the occupation of land by forestry monoculture plantations and soy plantations, which together amount to two million hectares. There is also a growing land concentration and foreignization process.

The place where Ana from Tacuarembo lives is especially affected by tree monoculture. The farmers of the area “are leaving for good”, she regretted.

She highlighted the struggle for land in Tacuarembo “so that young people will not leave” and welcomed the recovery of government plots of land by the National Institute of Colonization, in charge of facilitating access to land for small farmers.

Finally Ana supported the proposal of Uruguayan president Jose Mujica, of increasing taxes on the people who own over 2,000 hectares of land, although she said it is not a very strong measure. “

Photo: Radio Mundo Real.