How better seeds make Timor-Leste climate resilient
This movie on SciDevNet shows how improved seed varieties in Timor-Leste have contributed to improved food security. The movie documents the advances of the project Seeds of Life, which is designed to improve food security through helping farmers produce and distribute improved seed varieties. The farmers can use the seeds themselves but also sell the seeds for profit. Improved seed varieties can in this way improve climate resilience. Timor-Leste is already prone to weather extremes and climate change could deteriorate its impacts. Drought and post-harvest losses from problems such as poor storage worsen poverty and malnutrition in a country where 40 per cent of under-fives have stunted growth. Only a few years before the project began, the government used to import 300 to 400 tonnes of seeds each year, but now farmers grow maize, peanuts, cassava and sweet potato independently. The movie shows why this project has experiences successes while many others have failed.