Rooted in Tradition: Indigenous Crops and Sustainable Food Systems

As part of the project Cultivating Sustainable Futures, the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with African Marmalade will create a space for meaningful engagement on indigenous crops, grounding participants in the history and cultural relevance of indigenous crops as well as their health benefits and ecological importance for a more sustainable food system.

African Marmalade’s mission to revive heritage crops ties perfectly into this theme. It’s not just about growing and consuming them, it’s about reclaiming identity, reconnecting communities with traditional food wisdom and building sustainable futures rooted in African traditions.

This engagement will highlight:

• The history and cultural relevance of indigenous crops and their role in shaping sustainable futures.
• The nutritional benefits of indigenous crops and plant-based alternatives.
• The importance of indigenous crops for a climate-conscious agriculture, non-GMO farming and sustainable farming methods protecting the soil.

The workshop format will focus on interactive knowledge sharing, practical insights, and engaging presentations.

Facilitator: Siphiwe Sithole
Entrepreneur Siphiwe left the corporate world to start African Marmalade, where she farms indigenous African produce and inspires other growers to follow her example. African Marmalade currently owns an extensive seed bank of both indigenous and non-indigenous organic seeds and planting material. This takes them to the core of a sustainable food system. African Marmalade aims at democratising and depoliticizing food, improving access to organic seeds and addressing food sovereignty and protecting our heritage. “We want to make this farm the cradle of African crops." - Siphiwe Sithole, 2022