In the Casamance region, considered to be the breadbasket of Senegal, a strong voice is being raised in defense of women farmers: that of Mariama Sonko. She is the embodiment of resistance to industrial agriculture and a tireless campaigner for the rights of rural women.

The daughter of farmers, Mariama grew up in contact with the land. At an early age, she began growing vegetables in her village of Niaguis, where she lives with her husband. She quickly became aware of the injustices suffered by women farmers. Although they are the custodians of local seeds and work the land, they have no rights to it. It was this injustice that prompted her to fight for their recognition and to preserve the secrets of traditional seeds.

In 2011, she co-founded the We are the solution (NSS), initially comprising 12 farmers' organizations in five African countries. Today, the network extends to eight countries (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau) and brings together over 175,000 women through 800 organizations.

The movement was set up to counter the AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) initiative, launched in 2006 and focused on genetically modified seeds and chemical fertilizers. For Mariama Sonko, this model threatens the traditional know-how and livelihoods of thousands of women.

"This model destroys the seeds that women farmers have saved and protected for generations. This heritage is crumbling in the face of GMOs, and it's an injustice we can't accept", she explains. In this way, NSS has given women the courage to defend their way of life and their fundamental role: "They are the ones who feed families and carry the well-being of their communities."

Through NSS, Mariama campaigns for women's right to own land, and for the promotion of agroecology as a pillar of food autonomy. The aim," she says, "is to enable these women, who have put their knowledge at the service of humanity, to pass it on to future generations."

Seeds are their greatest treasure. "Industrial seeds may seem profitable in the short term, but they involve recurring costs. Farmers' seeds, on the other hand, not only improve yields, but are also more resistant to climate change." The movement is also investing in livestock breeding, to develop ecological methods and involve women to a greater extent.