Biowatch South Africa

Biowatch works with smallholder farmers, mainly women, in northern KwaZulu-Natal to revive traditional seed, set up household seed banks and build community seed networks. Farmers in KwaNgwanase, Pongola and Ingwavuma keep and share their own seed, and Biowatch has hosted the Sibuyisela Ulwazi Food and Seed Festival. It is a founding partner of the Seed and Knowledge Initiative.

Established in 1999, Biowatch has offices in Durban and Mtubatuba and pairs farmer-led agroecology with advocacy on seed sovereignty and farmers' rights. It is known for the 2009 Constitutional Court ruling in the Biowatch case, which protects public interest litigants from adverse costs.