“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”: Seed Sovereignty and Agricultural Decision Making in Southeastern Kenya

Author

• Caroline Stahley, University of South Florida

Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Anthropology

Major Professor

Dillon Mahoney, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Christian Wells, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rebecca Zarger, Ph.D.

Keywords

Political Ecology, Seed Saving, Environmental Justice

Abstract

Increasing corporate control of the global seed supply and restrictions to local exchange threaten the autonomy of smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities. This project contributes to agricultural sovereignty movements by examining the decisions farmers make to address climate uncertainty, market volatility, and development agendas. Specifically, how is seed saving practiced and understood in relation to sovereignty? It reimagines what global food systems might look like if investment were directed to producers rather than intermediaries, arguing that cultivators lack support, not knowledge or capacity. Across these domains, seeds act as a motif to describe the concerns, innovations, and visions of farmers.

Scholar Commons Citation

Stahley, Caroline, "“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”: Seed Sovereignty and Agricultural Decision Making in Southeastern Kenya" (2026). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11423