The Blooming World International’s Seeds of Change Initiative (SOCI) tackles food insecurity in East Africa by reviving traditional agricultural knowledge and promoting African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs). SOCI bridges traditional and modern practices by documenting time-tested cultivation methods, training smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—and enhancing seed quality to ensure sustainability. By integrating traditional wisdom with modern agricultural techniques, the initiative fosters self-reliance, improves nutrition, and strengthens local economies.

 Seeds of Change Initiative has reached over one million farmers, improving productivity by more than 80% through high-quality AIV seeds and Good Agricultural Practices. By increasing household incomes beyond USD 150 per month, the initiative has strengthened economic resilience. Over a million consumers and growers have been engaged through community outreach, resulting in improved food security and climate resilience. AIVs’ adaptability to local conditions ensures sustainability, enabling East African farmers to combat climate change while preserving biodiversity.

Seeds of Change Initiative thrives on collaboration with local farmers, elders, and agricultural experts, ensuring that traditional knowledge is preserved and passed on. Participatory fieldwork has classified over 100 local AIV landraces, fostering deeper community ownership of food security. Farmers are not just consumers but active contributors to the seed value chain, driving sustainable agriculture forward. The initiative builds trust through transparency, participatory decision-making, and fostering social cohesion.

Seeds of Change Initiativeh as influenced seed system policies in Kenya, advocating for the expansion of quality-assured AIV seed production. Its policy brief highlights key challenges in the sector, supporting lobbying efforts for formalized seed systems. Increased awareness has also encouraged policy shifts, including subsidies for smallholder farmers, driving greater adoption of AIVs.