Access to seeds plays a vital role in ensuring food sovereignty but, in Kenya, there are restrictive laws that criminalize Farmer Managed Seed Systems (FMSS). One such law is the Seeds and Plants Varieties Act, which criminalizes FMSS and prescribes punitive measures, including imprisonment. Other laws oppress women by restricting their access to land. Meanwhile, regulations on climate change remain weak. In addition, current market structures favor multinational corporations that capture and compromise government policymaking processes, such as by authoring laws that are supposed to regulate them.
The Kenyan Peasants League (KPL) is a movement that advocates for the rights of peasant farmers, facilitates public interest litigation, and promotes agroecological practices. For example, KPL is advocating for the repeal of sections of the Seeds and Plants Varieties Act, which criminalizes Farmer Managed Seed Systems. KPL has also partnered with select counties to establish Ward Climate Change Committees (WCCCs) and build their capacity to effectively monitor climate change indicators. In addition, KPL is pushing for the establishment of Community Land Management Committees (CLMCs), which are instrumental in resolving communal land disputes, especially those involving women. And through its Food Co-ops, KPL is seeking to provide market access for its members’ products.