Citizen’s Science for climate smart nutritious varieties

Duration: October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2020

Project information

Summary: This project “Citizen’s Science approach to climate smart and nutrition sensitive seed value chains for food and nutrition security in Uganda and Ethiopia” aims to out-scale citizen’s science approaches in testing genetic resources from national gene banks and international collections, for climate change adaptation, and nutrition suitability in these communities in Uganda and Ethiopia. A citizen’s science approach engages citizens in participatory data collection and analysis. The project will build on existing CCAFS projects that are already utilizing the approach and other participatory methodologies. The project will identify, test, select and disseminate climate smart varieties of selected crops from national gene banks and international collections according to farmers’ needs and specific conditions of their geographical locations, climate related challenges, and nutrition needs. The project aims to build capacity of national plant genetic resources systems and enhance collaborative partnerships and private sector engagement in the dissemination of climate smart nutritionally dense varieties. The project will also enhance the capacity of farmers’ to produce high quality seeds.

CCAFS project alignment: This project is well aligned with CCAFS project no. 43 “Out scaling a citizen science approach to test climate adaptation options”. It uses citizen’s science approaches to identify, test and select varieties that are adapted to location specific climate change. In addition, important nutritional information on the selected varieties will be obtained by engaging farmers, specifically women farmers in the identification of nutritionally dense and superior varieties for food and nutrition security. Lastly, it also integrates innovative value chain approaches in the dissemination of climate smart seed produced locally through local seed businesses and innovative financial partnerships. The project’s main elements are also in line with CCAFS IDOs of resilience building through participatory scaling out of CSA technologies; gender and social inclusion and policy and governance for the upscaling of CSA technologies.

Countries: Uganda and Ethiopia.