Seeds of Control: Corporate Power and the Battle for Food Sovereignty in Africa
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
Abstract
This paper examines the escalating crisis of seed and food sovereignty in Africa, interrogating whether multinational corporations' increasing control over seed supply represents genuine concern for food security or constitutes a sophisticated mechanism of economic and political domination. Through critical analysis of corporate consolidation, intellectual property regimes, and philanthropic interventions particularly the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) supported by the Gates Foundation this study reveals how neoliberal agricultural policies systematically undermine farmer autonomy and indigenous seed systems. Drawing on comparative perspectives from India, Japan, and the United States, the paper demonstrates that the rhetoric of food security often masks corporate interests in profit maximization through seed patents, genetic modification technologies, and chemical input dependencies. Evidence from case studies across Kenya, Malawi, and other African nations illustrates how farmer-managed seed systems, which have sustained agrobiodiversity and climate resilience for millennia, face criminalization and displacement by formal seed regimes. The analysis concludes that true food security requires reclaiming seed sovereignty through biocultural rights-based approaches, supporting farmer-led innovation, and resisting the corporate enclosure of agricultural commons.
Publish Your Research in This Journal
Open Journal of Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology welcomes original research submissions on related topics.
- Double-blind peer review
- First decision in 3–4 weeks
- DOI assigned on publication
- Open Access — free to read
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
References
AFSA. (2023). Seed sovereignty, a viable option for food and nutritional security in Africa. Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). https://afsafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/etudes-de-cas-continentales-en.pdf
AGRA. (2023). Empowering Africa’s Food Systems for the Future [Africa agricultural status report 2023]. Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). https://agra.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AASR-2023.pdf
Ahmed, I. (2025, May 21). Control the Food Supply and You Control the World: A Modern Analysis. Medium. https://medium.com/@iram.ahmed1997/control-the-food-supply-and-you-control-the-world-a-modern-analysis-e8070b5d02fd
APBREBES. (2024). UPOV’s War against the Rights of Farmers. Association for Plant Breeding for the Benefit of Society (APBREBES).
Behl, P., Osbahr, H., Angra, D., & Cardey, S. (2025). The importance of traditional seeds in agroecology transitions: A case study from Himachal Pradesh in India. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 0(0), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2025.2585485
Campbell, B. C., & Veteto, J. R. (2015). Free seeds and food sovereignty: Anthropology and grassroots agrobiodiversity conservation strategies in the US South. Journal of Political Ecology, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.2458/v22i1.21118
Chakwanda, M. A., Chenge, P. T., Tamburayi, G. L., Muchangana, M., Jarbah, P., Baloyi, N., Rera, A., & Sahoo, J. P. (2024). Green Revolution: The Catalyst for Agricultural Transformation. Vigyan Varta, 5(4), 294–302. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16649.45920
Dena, H. K. (2025, December 4). Case on Punitive Seed Laws Mentioned in Court. Greenpeace Africa. https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/52679/case-on-punitive-seed-laws-mentioned-in-court/
Eralleigh, D. (2019, November 28). South Africa’s Agriculture Minister Rejects Monsato’s GM Maize Seed. Slow Food. https://www.slowfood.com/blog-and-news/south-africas-agriculture-minister-rejects-monsatos-gm-maize-seed/
ETC Group & GRAIN. (2025, June 10). Top 10 agribusiness giants: Corporate concentration in food & farming in 2025. ETC Group & GRAIN. https://grain.org/en/article/7284-top-10-agribusiness-giants-corporate-concentration-in-food-farming-in-2025
GRAIN. (2005, February 15). India Seed Act & Patent Act: Sowing the seeds of dictatorship. Grain. https://grain.org/es/article/2166-india-seed-act-patent-act-sowing-the-seeds-of-dictatorship
Guimarães, S., & Paq, A. (2019, July 19). Sowing seeds of resistance: The fight for food sovereignty in Palestine. Equal Times. https://www.equaltimes.org/sowing-seeds-of-resistance-the
Kansiime, M. K., & Mastenbroek, A. (2016). Enhancing resilience of farmer seed system to climate-induced stresses: Insights from a case study in West Nile region, Uganda. Journal of Rural Studies, 47, 220–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.08.004
Kawai, A. (2022). The Diversity of Seed-Saving Governance and Sharing Systems in contemporary Japan. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Pimbert (Eds), Seeds for Diversity and Inclusion: Agroecology and Endogenous Development (pp. 79–90). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89405-4_5
Kerr, R. B. (2013). Seed struggles and food sovereignty in northern Malawi. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 40(5), 867–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2013.848428
Kerr, R. B., Hickey, C., Lupafya, E., & Dakishoni, L. (2019). Repairing rifts or reproducing inequalities? Agroecology, food sovereignty, and gender justice in Malawi. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 46(7), 1499–1518. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2018.1547897
Levy, J. (2025, December 6). Seed Rights, Repair Reforms and Food Policy Moves. Food Tank. https://foodtank.com/news/2025/12/food-tanks-weekly-news-roundup-kenya-protects-seed-sharing-australia-expands-right-to-repair-and-sf-takes-on-ultra-processed-foods/
Maundu. (2025, December 3). State moves to appeal landmark judgment on indigenous seed rights. Daily Nation. https://nation.africa/kenya/health/state-moves-to-appeal-landmark-judgment-on-indigenous-seed-rights-5285950
Mencher, J. P. (2013). Food Sovereignty: How it turns the growing corporate global food system upside down. Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue. International Conference Yale University September 14-15, 2013.
Nemecek, S. (2006, December 1). Does the World Need GM Foods? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-the-world-need-gm-foods/
Nishikawa, Y. (2022). Integration of Endogenous Development Theory into the Study of Seed Governance. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Pimbert (Eds), Seeds for Diversity and Inclusion: Agroecology and Endogenous Development (pp. 41–55). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89405-4_3
Nyéléni. (2022, April 26). Food Sovereignty: Land, Water, Seeds and Food by the World March of Women. Nyéléni. https://nyeleni.org/en/food-sovereignty-land-water-seeds-and-food-by-the-world-march-of-women/
Omondi, F. (2025, December 11). HISTORIC VICTORY: Kenyan Court Rules “Sharing Seeds is Not a Crime in Landmark Verdict for Food Sovereignty. Greenpeace Africa. https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/59598/historic-victory-kenyan-court-rules-sharing-seeds-is-not-a-crime-in-landmark-verdict-for-food-sovereignty/
Patel, R. C. (2012). Food Sovereignty: Power, Gender, and the Right to Food. PLoS Medicine, 9(6), e1001223. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001223
Petersen, M. E. (2014). Seed Sovereignty—How can organic agriculture contribute to the development and protection of the seed, a case study of Nepal (pp. 1–15) [Working paper]. Aarhus University. https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/27631/
Pimbert, M. (2009). Towards Food Sovereignty (No. Gatekeeper 141). International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). https://www.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/migrate/14585IIED.pdf
Pimbert, M. (2022). Reclaiming Diverse Seed Commons Through Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and Economies of Care. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Pimbert (Eds), Seeds for Diversity and Inclusion: Agroecology and Endogenous Development (pp. 21–39). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89405-4_2
Rubin, M. (2022). The Challenges of African Food Sovereignty. Africa-Europe Foundation. https://www.africaeuropefoundation.org/stories/the-challenges-of-african-food-sovereignty/
Samoei, B., Opondo, P., & Kurgat, P. (2025). The Influence of Colonial Economic Policies on Agricultural Development in Independent Kenya: 1954 To 1992. African Journal of History and Geography, 4(1), 40–58. https://doi.org/10.37284/ajhg.4.1.2694
Shield, C. (2021, April 8). Who controls the world’s food supply? Dw.Com. https://www.dw.com/en/agriculture-seeds-seed-laws-agribusinesses-climate-change-food-security-seed-sovereignty-bayer/a-57118595
Shiva, V. (2012, February 6). Opinion: The seed emergency. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2012/2/6/the-seed-emergency-the-threat-to-food-and-democracy
Srivastava, U. (2006). New Seed Bill 2004—Issues and Analysis. Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 19(2), 141–153. https://ispgr.in/index.php/ijpgr/article/download/1227/1205
Stuijt, A. (2009). Monsanto GM corn harvest fails massively in South Africa. Digital Journal. https://gmwatch.org/en/main-menu/news-menu-title/archive/48-2009/10849-monsanto-gm-corn-harvest-fails-massively-in-south-africa
Swanby, H., & Mayet, M. (2013, October 24). Monsanto’s Failed SA GM Maize Pushed Into Rest Of Africa. African Centre for Biodiversity. https://acbio.org.za/gm-biosafety/monsantos-failed-sa-gm-maize-pushed-rest-africa/
Swiderska, K., & Argumedo, A. (2022). Indigenous Seed Systems and Biocultural Heritage: The Andean Potato Park’s Approach to Seed Governance. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Pimbert (Eds), Seeds for Diversity and Inclusion: Agroecology and Endogenous Development (pp. 57–77). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89405-4_4
Tamura, N. (2022). The Third Way of Seed Governance: The Potential of the Seed Commoning in Japan. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Pimbert (Eds), Seeds for Diversity and Inclusion: Agroecology and Endogenous Development (pp. 175–188). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89405-4_12
Tandon, N. (2010). New agribusiness investments mean wholesale sell-out for women farmers. Gender and Development, 18(3), 503–514. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25758928
Tandon, N. (2011, November 15). On seeds: Controlling the first link in the food-chain. Grain. https://grain.org/en/article/4406-on-seeds-controlling-the-first-link-in-the-food-chain
The Royal Society. (2009). Reaping the benefits: Science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture. The Royal Society.
Walls, H., Johnston, D., Matita, M., Kamwanja, T., Smith, R., & Nanama, S. (2023). The politics of agricultural policy and nutrition: A case study of Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP). PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10), e0002410. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002410
War on Want. (2021, April 16). Food Sovereignty: The struggle for a fair global food system. War on Want. https://waronwant.org/news-analysis/food-sovereignty-struggle-fair-global-food-system
Wittman, H. (2023). Food sovereignty: An inclusive model for feeding the world and cooling the planet. One Earth, 6(5), 474–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.04.011
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Article metrics
- Abstract Views 527
- PDF Downloads 94
- Total Engagements 621
How to Cite
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.