Protecting Seed Sovereignty in East Africa: CEFROHT Pushes Back on GMOs

CEFROHT’s legal team continues to push forward with the landmark case challenging the Government of Kenya’s decision to lift the ban on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The case, now awaiting cause-listing for trial, seeks to uphold the rights of smallholder farmers to seed sovereignty and to protect farmer-managed seed systems as a foundation for food security in East Africa.

Over the last quarter, CEFROHT made significant progress in strengthening the case. The CEFROHT legal team successfully obtained Kenya’s response from the court registry and filed a detailed reply supported by new expert statements on Intellectual Property and Farmers’ Rights. These expert inputs reinforce the central argument that unrestricted introduction of GMOs undermines farmers’ traditional knowledge, local seed diversity, and control over their production systems.

In addition, CEFROHT submitted the UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on the Right to Food as supplementary evidence. The report highlights the growing dominance of corporate actors in agri-food systems, entities that prioritize profit over people and exert undue influence on national and regional policies and legislation. This corporate capture, as the report notes, has contributed to violations of the right to adequate food and perpetuated global food insecurity. Importantly, the Special Rapporteur recommends legal measures to curb corporate excesses in food systems while promoting agroecological practices and farmer-led farming as sustainable alternatives.

CEFROHT continues to stand firm in defending farmers’ rights and ensuring that food systems across East Africa remain just, inclusive, and ecologically sustainable

Please read more on the Special Rapporteur’s letter here….