Dutch Seeds Debate Report
In April, Agriterra organized the Dutch Seeds Debate in The Hague, the Netherlands. The debate is an element of ‘Small Farmers, Big Deal’, a campaign designed by Agriterra to connect companies to farmers.‘What can your organization do to support smallholder farmers in developing countries?’ This was the key question during the debate, which was attended by more than 90 representatives of the government, seed companies, research institutions and NGOs. These organizations were triggered to think about what they can do to support smallholder farmers. These farmers can grow their yields via a combination of better seeds, improved farming techniques and services such as financial support to build a business. By helping farmers with appropriate seeds, education and services, the Dutch can contribute to the economic transition of developing countries. To support the reflection on the question how to do this, the Access to Seeds Index (ASI) was presented as a relevant tool. An important conclusion was a focus on engaged organised farmers, especially on young people and females, could broaden and deepen the structural improvement. Furthermore, much can be learned from good case practices but at the same time stakeholders can learn most from what currently goes wrong. The report of the debate can be found here. In preparation for this debate, Agriterra has also published a magazine: “Better vegetable seeds”.