Universität zu Köln

Tikale, Sandra Tamara (2025). Reviving local seeds? Practices and narratives around maize, mahanga and sorghum seeds in Northeast Namibia. Masters thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

Small-scale rainfed cereal farming in the Zambezi Region in Northeast Namibia faces challenges such as unreliable rainfall, human-wildlife conflicts and labour shortages. Against that background, this ethnographic study explores how the rootedness, current situation and future potential of several cereal species and seeds are perceived and evaluated by various stakeholders in the region, including small-scale farmers, seed suppliers, and NGO workers. The thesis acknowledges advantages and disadvantages of all three dominant cereal species – maize, mahangu (pearl millet), and sorghum – and different seed types such as ‘formal’ and ‘local’ seeds. At the same time, it emphasizes the need to further research and promote currently neglected and underutilized cereal varieties and seeds to allow for greater diversity and resilience of cereal farming.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Tikale, Sandra Tamara sandra.tikale@posteo.de UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-786246
Series Name at the University of Cologne:	Culture and Environment in Africa Series
Volume:	18
Date:	2025
Place of Publication:	Köln
ISSN:	2194-1556
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Fächergruppe 4: Außereuropäische Sprachen, Kulturen und Gesellschaften > Institut für Ethnologie
Subjects:	Customs, etiquette, folklore
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Zambezi Region, seed systems, agrobiodiversity, small-scale farming, MA thesis English
Date of oral exam:	2025
Referee:	Name Academic Title Bollig, Michael Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/78624