Last Week, pastoralist communities, traditional elders, youth, civil society representatives, and district technical officers gathered at Leslona in Moroto. Under the campaign banner “Keep your Land, Keep your Seed,” the Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organisations (COPACSO), with funding and partnership of the Agroecology Fund (AEF) East Africa Regional Fund, officially launched a community-led digital initiative designed to protect indigenous knowledge, defend traditional crop varieties, and build local economic resilience.
For generations, pastoralists across the Karamoja sub-region have relied on traditional rangeland systems, custom grazing boundaries, and native veterinary practices. However, these indigenous organic farming and agroecological methods are facing rapid erosion. To protect this invaluable heritage, COPACSO and AEF bypassed the distant urban halls of Kampala and brought the campaign launch directly to the local knowledge holders in Moroto.
The Dual Threat: Loss of Grazing Lands and GMO Seeds
During our rangeland dialogues and regional radio talk shows on Achaun and UBC Radio , community representatives and traditional elders spoke out about the immediate crises facing their livelihoods:
- The Loss of Resilient Seeds: Traditional crop seeds, such as native varieties of Karamoja sorghum and maize, are rapidly disappearing. Elders warned that commercial seeds purchased from the market cannot be replanted, forcing farmers into a cycle of dependency. Furthermore, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) threaten to ruin local seed varieties through cross-pollination.
- The Collapse of Customary Rangelands: Customary rules like ngaperor (grazing area preservation) and the traditional Etem (community gatherings to teach children) are no longer active. Youth are increasingly cut off from the traditional practices that kept livestock climate-resilient.
Using Technology as a Shield for Ancient Wisdom
Rather than allowing technology to displace community values, the COPACSO-AEF partnership has pioneered two custom digital platforms designed to preserve traditional knowledge and build direct, local wealth:
1. EcoTV: The Rangeland Archive
Indigenous pastoralist wisdom has historically been oral, making it highly vulnerable to being lost. EcoTV is our new online video repository hosted on COPACSO’s website. Supported by AEF, local youth are trained as video reporters, using their phones to record and archive valuable indigenous wisdom. T
2. Ecomarket indigenous: Bypassing Middlemen
For too long, local producers have been exploited by intermediaries who distort pricing and spoil the market. To solve this, COPACSO created ecomarket indigenous . This direct e-marketplace, funded as part of AEF’s commitment to advancing agroecological marketing, allows pastoralist groups to sell agro ecological products like organic wild honey, local herbs, native seeds, and traditional hand-woven clothes directly to consumers.
Agnes’s Story: “I Am No Longer a Walker!” The direct economic impact of the platform was highlighted by Agnes, a 24-year-old local entrepreneur who completed our digital marketing and platform training. She previously had to walk long distances under the hot sun to sell her hand-made products. Today, she runs a virtual shop.
“I have an online shop operating sale of traditional shirts and beans, it has saved me the cost of renting a shop, I only post my items online and orders are made, I have high turnover of my products. I am able to meet my personal needs. Let us embrace the new technology to earn a living.” — Agnes, local online entrepreneur
Moving the Campaign Forward
The Moroto launch is just the beginning of a broader campaign. COPACSO is linking these community-led initiatives with national policy advocacy. The rangeland evidence gathered in the field has been synthesized by our specialist consultant into a finalized Policy Brief. This brief will be formally presented to stakeholders to ensure pastoralist agroecology is integrated into public policy frameworks.
By utilizing technology to preserve our heritage, and with the strategic backing of the Agroecology Fund, our communities are ensuring they can keep their lands, keep their seeds, and thrive for generations to come.
How You Can Join the Movement:
- Explore EcoTV: Visit our digital archive to watch local elders share traditional seed-saving and grazing practices.
- Shop Native: Support pastoralist families directly and bypass exploitative middlemen by purchasing pure honey, traditional apparel, and organic seeds on ecomarket indigenous.
- Share Our Story: Spread the word using the hashtag #KeepYourLandKeepYourSeed to support indigenous agroecology in Uganda!
