Commons or Commodities? A Case Study Analysis of Seed Biotechnology, Governance, and Sovereignty

Abstract

This thesis explores seed governance as a critical site where the crises of climate change and global food insecurity converge. Through a qualitative case study analysis, this thesis examines two organizations: Gates Agricultural Innovations, a subsidiary of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that invests in gene-edited seed technologies for smallholder farmers, and the Seed Savers Network Kenya, a farmer-led, grassroots organization that preserves agricultural biodiversity and advocates for seed sovereignty in Kenya. Both organizations share the goals of building climate resilience and food security among smallholder farming communities yet embody deeply contrasting approaches. To understand what values underlie the differing approaches, what futures the two organizations envision, and what alternatives are marginalized in the process, both organizations are examined through three analytical lenses: techno-optimistic, cautious, and agroecological. Using each of these lenses, this thesis develops three scenarios that outline what outcomes and impacts may arise out of the work of Gates Agricultural Innovations and the Seed Savers Network Kenya. This thesis suggests that improving smallholder farmers’ access to technological resources is not a sufficient solution. Sustainable and resilient agricultural systems require seed governance frameworks that preserve and restore ownership, sovereignty, and decision-making power within smallholder farming communities.