By Wallace Mawire
Zimbabwe’s 13th National Seed Fair is to be hosted under the theme: “Nurturing Our Future, Reviving Our Heritage. ”
The Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe has announced the 13th edition of the National Seed Fair. The much anticipated event will take place in the lush Harare Botanical Gardens on 19 September 2025, marking the first day of the two-day Annual Good Seed and Food Festival.
Hosted by the PELUM Zimbabwe coordinated Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP), the National Seed Fair is more than an event but is a living bridge between past, present and the future. At the forum, smallholder farmers bring their treasured seeds, carefully saved over the years, to share and exchange. Families gather to taste traditional dishes once cooked by their grandmothers. Children laugh and learn where food really comes from. Musicians and dancers will fill the gardens with rhythm and joy, while communities come together to celebrate resilience and renewal.
“We are therefore inviting all Zimbabweans to come and celebrate the food and seed that makes us who we are as Zimbabweans. It’s a free family-friendly event open to everyone, so bring your parents, children, friends, and neighbour’s,” a PELUM spokesperson said.
He said visitors can expect to see displays and bustling market stalls, a food court serving mouth-watering traditional dishes, cooking demos and a fiery cook off,
dialogues on organic farming, seed saving & traditional crops,
kids’ corner with fun, hands-on food learning, youth corner, a space for innovation and ideas and live music, dance, and cultural performances that bring the gardens alive.
PELUM said over the years, the two-day National Good Seed and Food Festival has become Zimbabwe’s go-to space for celebrating Zimbabwe’s agricultural heritage and food culture while inspiring a resilient, sustainable, and just future.
PELUM Zimbabwe is a vibrant network driving the growth of agroecology across the country. Their mandate is to empower communities to be self-organised, resilient, and able to make choices that support a socially, economically, and ecologically regenerative way of life. With 42 members, including civil society organisations, agroecology entrepreneurs, and passionate individuals, PELUM Zimbabwe coordinates diverse initiatives nationwide. They also focus on learning exchanges, capacity building, movement building, and advocacy, working through their membership to champion a just, sustainable, and resilient food and farming system.