SEED is an exchange program between Spire and our sister organization in Malawi, Point of Progress. Young people from both countries join forces in the fight for climate justice and food sovereignty.
The SEED exchange is grounded in the connection between climate justice and food sovereignty, with a particular focus on climate finance, climate adaptation, and gender equality.
In Malawi, food production is becoming increasingly vulnerable due to more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. The World Bank warns that climate change could push an additional 2.6 million people into extreme poverty by 2030. This highlights the urgent need to develop resilient and adaptive agricultural strategies.
In Norway, the transition to renewable energy has made progress, but the country continues oil and gas extraction. In 2023, Norway’s CO₂ emissions were 46.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, not including emissions from exported oil and gas. In the same year, Malawi’s annual emissions were 1.75 million tonnes of CO₂. This stark contrast underscores Norway’s responsibility to reduce global emissions and contribute to climate action.
Promoting climate justice requires a fair distribution of burdens: countries that have contributed the most to emissions must take the greatest responsibility, while food sovereignty points the way toward more just and sustainable food systems. Together, they highlight the need for a fundamental shift—from fossil fuels and large-scale industrial agriculture to solutions that prioritize people, the environment, and future generations..
Countries like Norway therefore have a special responsibility to reduce emissions, phase out fossil fuels, and increase climate financing. At the same time, policies and practices in both Norway and Malawi must support sustainable food systems that empower small-scale producers and uphold food sovereignty, without being undermined by other economic or political interests. At the heart of these challenges lie the power dynamics within food systems. Industrial agriculture gives large-scale producers dominance, while small-scale farmers are pushed out and marginalized. This leads to unequal access to food and resources, contributing to social inequality and the loss of biodiversity. Small-scale, sustainable farming gives communities greater control, strengthens food security, and better equips them to cope with the impacts of climate change.
From August to December, they worked at Spire’s office in Oslo and are now continuing with Point of Progress in Malawi through June 2026.
After working in Malawi with Point of Progress from August to December 2025, the participants are now in Norway with Spire until May 2026.
By Tinamwabi Mumba (SEED proff participant 25/26) This text is translated from Norwegian by fellow SEED participant Eira Haugbro, and was orginally published on Afrika.no When Norway uses carbon credits to meet its climate targets, responsibility is shifted away from its own emissions and onto local communities in the Global South. This raises fundamental questions…
By: Akuzike Phiri, Funani Matemba, Elin Linnea Stenbakken Östgård og Sigrid Randen-Hatløy The participants in the SEED activist exchange 2025/26 have created a brilliant podcast series. Throughout this year, they have spoken with farmers and experts in Malawi and Norway about how climate change is affecting the agricultural sector. They have collected personal stories from…
Av Linnea Östgård, SEED-deltaker 2025-26 Det finnes mange fellestrekk mellom bønder i Malawi og Norge. Etter å ha besøkt småbruk i begge landene, har jeg fått et innblikk i noen av de alvorlige utfordringene som møter dem hver eneste dag. Verdien av en liter melk Vi liker kanskje å tro at den maten vi dyrker i…
SEED Exhibition 2024/25 by Jonatan H. Forus, Rebeccah Katchingatzhire, Anne Slyngstad Færø and Mwai Banda Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges, disproportionately affecting countries that contribute the least to its causes. Malawi is a prime example of this climate injustice. Despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions , the…
The current project cycle runs from August 2026 to August 2027. Participants interested in joining the next project cycle, which will take place from August 2027 to August 2028, will be able to submit their applications from early April 2027.
Further information about the application process, eligibility criteria, and important deadlines will be published on this website before applications open. We encourage prospective participants to check back regularly for updates and detailed guidance on how to apply.
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