Adamasiko Seed Bank
Soroti, Uganda – 24 July 2025
The Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organisations (COPACSO), as a proud partner in the Keep Your Land, Keep Your Seed campaign, joined fellow stakeholders for a national learning visit to the Adamasiko Community Seed Bank in Katine, Soroti City. The event, convened by the Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU) and supported by OXFAM, created space for partners to share innovations, deepen collaboration and affirm joint strategies to protect land, seeds and community food systems across Uganda.
Launched in 2024, the Keep Your Land, Keep Your Seed campaign is a multi-actor initiative that addresses the interconnected challenges of land dispossession, seed loss, declining food sovereignty, and the erosion of traditional farming knowledge. The campaign brings together more than ten civil society organizations working on land rights, food security, trade justice, and biodiversity conservation.
As a campaign partner, COPACSO contributes unique expertise from the pastoralist sector, advocating for the conservation of indigenous pasture seed varieties and the protection of livestock breeds that are increasingly at risk due to land conversion and climate change. COPACSO also champions equitable access to communal rangelands and sustainable livestock production systems grounded in indigenous knowledge.
“The campaign is critical to preserving what pastoralist communities have protected for generations—grazing lands, seed diversity, and native animal breeds. Their contribution to Uganda’s agricultural future must be recognized and safeguarded,” said a COPACSO representative.
During the learning visit, members of the Ojom Oculoi Olwelai Joint Farmers Cooperative Society showcased the operations of the Adamasiko Community Seed Bank—a grassroots-led hub supporting over 500 farmers with indigenous seed varieties, including groundnuts, beans, black peas, maize, and the rare oyster nut.
The seed bank integrates agroecological practices such as:
Indigenous seed saving and farmer-to-farmer seed exchange;
Locally produced bio-pesticides that protect health and the environment;
Seasonal rotational farming for improved soil fertility;
Household gardening to improve family nutrition and reduce market dependence.
Campaign partners—among them COPACSO, SEATINI, ESAFF Uganda, FRA, PELUM Uganda, LANDnet, and UCOBAC used the visit as a platform to reflect on their respective contributions and align strategies for collective impact.
COPACSO reaffirmed its commitment to:
Supporting indigenous seed and pasture biodiversity within pastoralist territories;
Advancing land tenure security for pastoralist communities;
Bridging farmer–pastoralist exchanges to promote resilient and inclusive food systems.
Through its fieldwork and advocacy, COPACSO is helping shape policy and practice in line with Uganda’s obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
“Adamasiko is more than a seed bank—it is a living symbol of hope, resilience, and the power of communities to lead climate-smart, culturally rooted agricultural transformation,” remarked one cooperative member.
