Sustainable agriculture
Seed systems
Image: via Flickr (by: World Bank)
Seed is an essential input for crop production. For farmers, access to affordable and high quality seeds is therefore important for increasing agricultural production and productivity. In many developing countries, the formal seed system has shifted from a publicly dominated sector to a privately dominated sector. Nevertheless, the largest share of seeds are still produced by farmers themselves. In this Knowledge Portal topic, the focus is on seed sector systems and technical seed system innovations. Specific focuses are: integrated seed sector development, linking of informal and formal seed systems, balance between public- and private-sector involvement, seed quality and quality control, and seed production.
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July 13th, 2020
Published by Outlook on Agriculture, June 22nd, 2020
This study applied a means-end chain analysis to understand farmers’ perceptions of formal and informal sources of banana planting material. Farmers associated formal sources mainly with improved cultivars, tissue culture plantlets and low levels of diversity. Informal seed sources were mostly associated with traditional cultivars, suckers and high levels of diversity. »
June 15th, 2020
Published by Journal of Crop Improvement, March 26th, 2020
This article analyzed the cost structure of improved groundnut seed production to assess viability, using primary data collected from Tanzania and Uganda. Groundnut seed could be provided to farmers in remote communities at an affordable price while still keeping seed producers profitably in business. »
March 9th, 2020
Published by Plant breeding, July 1st, 2019
This article states there are several hurdles to ensure sustainable seed production and consistent flow of improved legume varieties in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Diversification of seed sources by linking formal and informal seed systems is a fundamental tool to enhancing seed access to resource‐poor farmers especially those in remote areas. »
February 10th, 2020
Published by Journal of Agricultural Research Advances, September 27th, 2019
This paper states that quality seed is one of the first and foremost prerequisites for a healthy and vigorous crop and considered as an important factor for increasing crop yield. However, in Bangladesh resource-poor farmers have limited access to quality seeds. Without proper policy implementation for quality seed supply, it is very difficult to achieve food security and the sustainable development goals. »
February 4th, 2020
Published by The Potato Crop, January 1st, 2020
This article states that good quality seed is almost universally considered a requirement for high productivity in all potato production systems. Potato seed sector development is thus a major concern of governments, researchers, development agencies, and civil society organizations. »
January 6th, 2020
Published by Journal of Crop Improvement, February 23rd, 2019
The objective of this study was to examine the constraints of seed production and the causes of seed losses in Northern Ghana. The results indicated that high input costs, undeveloped marketing system and seed distribution channels, erratic rainfall pattern, and inadequate machinery constituted the main challenges for seed producers. Field pests, poor storage structures, poor farm hygiene, and poor bagging process significantly influenced seed losses. »
December 9th, 2019
Published by The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers, November 28th, 2018
Changing climates will require African farmers to adjust which crop varieties they grow in order to adapt to changing patterns of weather, pests and diseases. Delivering more suitable, climate-smart crop varieties requires well-functioning seed systems in which actors work in harmony across the supply chain. Although a great deal of previous development funding has been used to breed new varieties and to encourage farmers to adopt them, the availability of early-generation seed (EGS) continues to be limited by bottlenecks in the supply chain. »
October 28th, 2019
Published by Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, July 1st, 2019
This article aims to assess political and social outcomes of the formalisation and commercialisation of the seed sector, by comparing maize seed system development in Ethiopia, Malawi and Tanzania, combining policy analysis with quantitative analysis of farmers' seed use. Climate-smart seed policies and seed system development strategies must be sensitive to differences between farming systems and different groups of farmers if they are to deliver socially fair outcomes. »
September 25th, 2019
Published by Bioversity International, CCAFS-CGIAR, September 24th, 2019
This book is a tool that supports research and capacity building on resilient seed systems in the context of adaptation to climate change. It advises how countries can design and implement a comprehensive capacity-building strategy to access and use crop diversity more effectively to adapt to climate change in specific sites. »
July 1st, 2019
Published by Access to Seeds , June 11th, 2019
The synthesis report reflects on the seed industry's progress and the remaining challenges over this reporting period, against a changing global backdrop. The 2019 index demonstrates that seed companies continue to invest in providing access to seeds for smallholder farmers in index regions, through differing business models and approaches, providing increased evidence of their practices. »
June 12th, 2019
Published by Food Security Journal, February 4th, 2019
This article reviews roots, tuber and banana (RTB) seed systems—with particular reference to potato, sweetpotato, cassava, yam and banana —to reflect on current seed system development approaches and the unique nature of these systems. Key to progress in the improvement of the quality of planting material used by farmers is to pay attention to what works where, and for whom, and how to scale up good practices. »
May 28th, 2019
Published by University of Cape Town, January 1st, 2019
This technical brief aims to examine the quality of farmer-produced seeds that smallholder farmers use for planting in Zimbabwe. Smallholder farmers in eastern Zimbabwe have the capacity to produce sorghum seed that matches formal seed certification standards. This emphasises the need for relevant stakeholders to recognise and promote the resilience of farmer-led seed systems... »
April 17th, 2019
Published by Access to Seeds, April 17th, 2019
This Access to Seeds Index evaluates the performance of the seed industry in taking the lead in reaching smallholder farmers in Western and Central Africa. Only half of the 23 evaluated seed companies in the region have breeding activities. A large part of the youngest varieties in the portfolio of regional companies is older than five years. »
March 4th, 2019
Published by Access to Seeds Index, March 4th, 2019
This Access to Seeds Index evaluates the performance of the seed industry in taking the lead in reaching smallholder farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa. The index reveals that companies are present in all index countries and investing in local seed sector development, but need more step up efforts to reach more smallholders. East African Seed tops the 2019 Access to Seeds Index for Eastern and Southern Africa. »
February 26th, 2019
Published by Economic Botany Journal, January 25th, 2019
This study collected seed samples and survey data from 127 farmers in western Kenya on their African indigenous vegetable (AIV) seed production practices, uses of AIV seed, and motivations for growing seed. This study speaks to the importance of using localized information to develop programs for improving informal seed systems and continuing to employ gender-sensitive and transformative activities. »
February 20th, 2019
Published by Access to Seeds, January 28th, 2019
This publication of the Access to Seeds Index 2019 presents an overall ranking of 13 leading global seed companies. The results show that the global seed industry is adapting their seeds to combat the impact of climate change. However, a lack of access to quality seeds in many emerging economies persists, as global companies reach just 10% of the world's smallholder farmers. »
January 14th, 2019
Published by Potato Research, September 21st, 2018
This article assesses to what extent positive selection over several seasons can reduce six different virus incidences in seed lots of different starting quality in Southwestern Uganda. The results clearly show that crops planted with seeds from positive selection have a reduced virus incidence compared to those from farmers’ selection when the treatments are applied over multiple (in this case, three) seasons, thereby reducing the level of secondary infection in the next-season crop. »
January 2nd, 2019
Published by Springer, November 28th, 2018
This article discusses the growth of the private seed sector since the seed industry in Eastern and Souther Africa (ESA) was deregulated, the importance of public-private partnerships in driving genetic gains for climate-smart (CS) traits, and the importance of developing a favourable regional regulatory environment that incentivises the private sector to rapidly scale out CS crop varieties... »
December 3rd, 2018
Published by Access to Seeds, November 12th, 2018
The Access to Seeds Index evaluates the performance of the seed industry in taking the lead in reaching smallholder farmers in South and Southeast Asia. The index shows that the seed industry is present in all countries, but reaches only 20% of the smallholder farmers. It is highly research-driven, releasing new varieties for a broad variety of crops. »
November 1st, 2018
Published by Hivos, IIED, October 30th, 2018
This report provides an overview of the state of affairs: what is Open Source Seed, what is happening on the ground, what are the results so far, and what are the open questions. The Open Source Seed network consists of self-organised plant breeding and seed sharing/selling communities that aim to retain and regain freedom to act in a now highly asymmetric landscape. »
October 18th, 2018
Published by Access to Seeds Index, July 17th, 2018
This report evaluated seed-producing cooperatives across Western and Central Africa to explore whether farmer-led cooperatives can play a role delivering new varieties of seeds into the hands of farmers. Seed-producing cooperatives are increasingly being formally recognized as producers of certified seed. »
September 6th, 2018
Published by Food Security Journal, July 28th, 2018
This article aims to contribute to better functioning of maize seed sectors serving smallholders, by analysing across different systems. Smallholder farmers are increasingly purchasing seed from the formal maize seed system in different parts of the world. »
August 22nd, 2018
Published by Journal of Crop Improvement, June 18th, 2018
This article describes a multi-stakeholder framework in vegetatively propagated crop (VPC) seed systems. VPC are reproduced not with true seed but with vegetative planting material. The multi-stakeholder framework is a tool to, e.g. document VPC seed systems and build a stronger evidence base for future interventions. »
July 26th, 2018
Published by Food Security Journal, March 20th, 2018
This study offers insights into smallholder farmer's practices regarding acquisition and distribution of sweetpotato planting material in Tanzania. Findings reveal that most farmers rely almost exclusively on informal seed systems. »
July 11th, 2018
Published by Center for Development Research of the University of Bonn, February 1st, 2018
This working paper aims to propose an agenda for supporting sustainable development of seed systems in two sub-Saharan countries, Kenya and Mali, based on the experiences and insight of seed system actors who contribute to various functions and operate at different scales. »
June 20th, 2018
Published by Food Security Journal, May 22nd, 2018
This study analyzes household and farm-level characteristics that may predict chronic seed insecurity in semi-arid eastern Kenya. Results suggest that mild chronic seed insecurity continues to be a problem in most households, hampering their ability to produce food. »
May 14th, 2018
Published by Access to Seeds, February 1st, 2018
This report evaluates the efforts of 22 leading seed companies in Eastern and Southern Africa, aimed at improving access to seeds for smallholder farmers. The seed sector in the region has high potential for growth. »
March 12th, 2018
Published by Vice Versa, February 10th, 2017
This journal is a special edition centred around the question: How do small-scale farmers from Africa and Asia come upon good quality seeds, and what problems do they face in the process. Policymakers, development workers, farmers and private companies are consulted to answer this question. »
February 26th, 2018
Published by Oxfam Novib, May 16th, 2017
This case study assesses national seed laws in eight countries to inform recommendations to ensure laws better support the functioning of farmers’ seed systems. Seed laws typically pay little attention to farmers' seed systems, but it can impact on the functioning of those systems in various ways... »
January 24th, 2018
Published by WUR, November 23rd, 2017
This PhD dissertation is a study of the relationship between plant breeders’ rights on the one hand and access to seed and planting material for smallholder farmers in Kenya on the other hand. Access to seeds invariably affects food availability and security and ultimately, the right to food. »
January 18th, 2018
Published by International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, January 8th, 2018
This review reviews and makes a comparative analysis of the maize (corn) seed sector and its evolution in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia. Improved maize seed is instrumental to deliver an Asian-style ‘green revolution’ for Africa. »
December 19th, 2017
Published by Rural 21, October 27th, 2017
This article discusses how farmers get seed in different countries. Practices range from the Nepalese self-supplier to sophisticated propagation systems in the industrialized nations. In the South, between 60 and 100 per cent of farmers still use their own seed. »
December 7th, 2017
Published by journal Sustainable Agricultural Research, August 3rd, 2017
This article summarizes how current institutions and policies related to seed production and distribution in Ethiopia and Uganda influence the shaping of seed systems. It also considers whether policies provide space for informal seed systems to continue to operate and evolve and for farmers to utilize local and traditional varieties together with improved ones. »
November 9th, 2017
Published by TASAI, September 1st, 2017
This publication shows ten emerging lessons from studies appraising the the structure and economic performance of formal seed sectors in 13 countries. A competitive seed sector is key to ensuring timely availability of high quality seeds of improved, appropriate varieties at affordable prices to smallholder farmers in Africa. »
October 30th, 2017
Published by CGIAR PIM, IFPRI, October 25th, 2017
This webinar explores novel approaches to strengthening seed systems and markets. David Spielman, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) presents the webinar. The aim is to chalk out some basic principles to help understand the effects of changes in public policies on seed systems and markets in developing countries. »
October 17th, 2017
Published by journal Development in Practice, April 26th, 2017
This article argues that community seed banks can enhance the resilience of farmers, in particular of communities and households most affected by climate change. The various examples of community seed banks from this global review demonstrate that community seed banks are already carrying out major functions in terms of adaptation to climate change. »
September 14th, 2017
Published by IFPRI, August 4th, 2017
This discussion paper explores the importance of varietal turnover in advanced and transitional seed systems for food staples in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The genetic improvement of food staple crops cultivated by small-scale farmers is a well-established route to increasing agricultural productivity and improving rural livelihoods. »
September 6th, 2017
Published by Bayer Crop Science, August 7th, 2017
This blog discusses the importance of smaller regional seed companies in the delivery and adoption of new technologies to smallholder farmers. Within the seed industry there is a small group of big global players and a long tail of smaller regional, national and niche players. »
August 8th, 2017
Published by CIP, July 17th, 2017
This blog explains different ways how effective seed systems help the world's poor. An effective seed system can help mitigate the impact of pressures due to climate change by helping smallholder farmers access quality materials that increase crop yields and are responsive to the challenges they face in their fields. »
August 7th, 2017
Published by ISSD, KIT, May 2nd, 2017
This synthesis report compares regional and national seed laws in Africa, and analyzes the extent to which they support (or undermine) farmers’ participation in seed systems. The paper pays particular attention to how or whether these laws recognize farmers as conservers and breeders of crop varieties, and as potential multipliers and providers of seed. »
June 28th, 2017
Published by The Government of the Netherlands, June 19th, 2017
This brochure presents an overview of the role of Dutch companies, policymakers and researchers in the development of quality seed and seed sectors globally. Over the next few years, the demand for food is set to increase. Quality seed is essential in order to meet this demand. »
June 12th, 2017
Published by Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Journal, June 1st, 2017
This article explores the role of international agricultural research when research and development have shifted to the private sector. Results show that as the role of the private sector in vegetable breeding increased, and with it the share of hybrids in the market, the role of international agricultural research shifted from the provision of ready-made varieties to the provision of specific resistance traits. »
May 24th, 2017
Published by CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas , April 10th, 2017
This working paper presents a tool, designed to help any interested person to understand root, tuber and banana (RTB) seed systems or for use during planning, monitoring, and implementation of interventions in them. RTB crops are important for food security and commerce, especially in the tropics. »
May 3rd, 2017
Published by CGIAR RTB, April 10th, 2017
This working paper reviews CGIAR's current knowledge of sweet potato seed systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to identify gaps and research needs to ensure smallholder farmers can access timely and sufficient quantities of quality sweet potato planting material. »
May 2nd, 2017
Published by Hivos, Bioversity International, January 1st, 2017
This publication examines how current seed policies and laws in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda affect smallholder farmers’ practices. The investigation is based on three measures: the degree of recognition of the roles and rights of smallholder farmers; the degree to which policy and legal regulations facilitate smallholder-based seed management; and the level of support such regulations provide for smallholder-based seed management. »
April 24th, 2017
Published by Agriculture & Food Security Journal, March 8th, 2017
This article assessed the effect of using certified seed potato (CSP) on yield, input use, and food security among smallholder farmers. The recent development of rapid seed multiplication technique has helped to shorten the duration of CSP production and increase the supply of seed. Results indicate that use of CSP is associated with increased yields, sales, and hence income. In addition, users of CSP were less food insecure than their counterparts. »
April 3rd, 2017
Published by Bioversity International, March 8th, 2017
This factsheet discusses the Kiziba seedbank in Uganda, established in June 2010. The seedbank was part of a project to improve the productivity and resilience of seeds for farmers through enhanced use of crop varietal diversity, focusing on common bean and banana. The project aimed to fill the gap in seed diversity and good seed quality. The project built on the intraspecific diversity that was available on farm to reduce the pressure of pests and diseases, and on farmers' knowledge to develop new low-cost and sustainable methods and management practices to increase diversity. »
March 31st, 2017
Published by Access to Seeds Foundation, February 2nd, 2017
This report published by Access to Seeds Foundation documents the farmers' consultation of the Access to Seed Index 2016 with 35 farmers' organizations from 26 countries. These four meetings marked the start of the development process towards the second Access to Seeds Index scheduled for Q1 2019. During this consultation farmers' organizations gave more attention to the impact of climate change than during the previous farmers' consultation in 2013. The meetings underlined the need to include farmer cooperatives, associations and community seed enterprises in the overall Index assessment. »
March 30th, 2017
Published by Bioversity International, March 1st, 2017
This factsheet describes two case studies of the community seedbank strategy in South Africa. The aim of this community seedbank strategy was to support smallholder communities to revive and improve their traditional seed-saving practices for the sake of food security and sustainable agriculture and conservation of the county's agricultural biodiversity. It also emphasizes the importance of women farmers as active custodians of agricultural biodiversity, which can be seen in particular in the Gumbu case study, where women farmers show active interest and participation in the project. »
January 29th, 2017
Published by PLOS ONE, January 25th, 2017
This article demonstrates that showing agricultural extension videos significantly increased farmers’ knowledge of recommended practices on seed selection, storage and handling. The video messages were delivered through Android tablets to a sample of potato farmers in southwestern Uganda. This research suggests that videos should be crop and context specific, featuring model farmers to maximize the potential of videos to leverage knowledge farmers already possess but may not be confident enough to use. »
December 22nd, 2016
Published by KIT Sustainable Economic Development, December 16th, 2016
These four reports by the KIT are analysis of four maize seed systems in Malawi, Zambia, Bihar in India and Chiapas in Mexico. The four documents describe the adoption and impact of improved maize germplasm at small scale farmer level in these four areas. The objective is to understand whether smallholder farmers have access to seed of improved maize varieties, and if so, how the seed sector supports this. »
November 30th, 2016
Published by IISD, October 1st, 2016
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) focuses on investments by domestic seed companies in quality seeds, including climate-resilient varieties, in developing countries and the climate risk management (CRM) benefits for other actors along the value chain. »
November 29th, 2016
Published by Earlham Institute, October 17th, 2016
This study, led by CIAT in collaboration with the Earlham Institute and Yale University highlights genetic elements that could accelerate the breeding of vital forage crops for animal nutrition in Africa and Latin America. The study identifies plants that undergo a biological phenomenon where they can reproduce clonally by apomixis. This means that they do not require egg cells to be fertilised by a male sperm or pollen grain. As result, the progeny (genetic descendants) are clones from the mother plant. A molecular diagnosis for reproduction enables quicker selection of the Brachiaria hybrid plants. By identifying candidate genes and genome regions linked to apomixis, this study opens the door to the use of molecular markers to efficiently select apomictic or sexual plants, a technique called marker-assisted selection (MAS). »
October 24th, 2016
Published by Global Network For The Right To Food And Nutrition, October 1st, 2016
This report by the Global Network For The Right To Food And Nutrition concludes that transnational corporations are monopolizing control over seeds with dire consequences for human rights and biodiversity. Increasingly, seed and agrochemical businesses seek to privatize, monopolize and control seeds by patenting and commodifying this very source of life. Meanwhile, peasant and indigenous communities, who have been the developers and guardians of seeds for millennia, are finding their rights to save, use, exchange and sell seeds overshadowed by a corporate agenda that prioritizes profit over human rights and the sustainable maintenance of nature. »
July 4th, 2016
Published by Outlook on Agriculture journal, March 1st, 2016
This paper, published in the Outlook on Agriculture journal, provides an overview and analysis of vegetable seed industries in developing countries, with a focus on Morocco, and the resulting influences on smaller subsistence farmers. The ongoing problems and issues related to the absence of vegetable seed industries in developing countries will undoubtedly affect food production, nutritional health and the resulting food security in these countries for future generations. »
June 29th, 2016
Published by Agriterra, April 26th, 2016
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. »
June 22nd, 2016
Published by CIAT, June 8th, 2016
This research on the Royal Society shows how the origins of food plants has led to the recognition that specific geographical regions around the world have been of particular importance to the development of agricultural crops. Yet the relative contributions of these different regions in the context of current food systems have not been quantified. The authors determine the origins (‘primary regions of diversity’) of the crops comprising the food supplies and agricultural production of countries world. »
May 11th, 2016
Published by ISSD Africa, March 17th, 2016
This Expert Meeting, organized by the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) Africa Program, in collaboration with partners, took place in Cape Town, 16-17 March 2016. The meeting aimed to present and discuss the findings so far of ISSD Theme 3: Matching global commitments with national realities. The meeting was divided in three sessions, each centered around one of three action learning questions. The outcomes of these discussions and consultations are briefly summarized in the report. »
April 13th, 2016
Published by Global Food Security, March 1st, 2016
This article focuses on how knowledge sharing and strategic research collaboration could speed-up genetic, physiological, and molecular understanding of important cereal traits. Cereals, like wheat, rice, maize, pearl millet, and sorghum provide over half of the world's food calories. However, climate change impacts cereal production. To maintain global food security, there is an increasing need to exploit existing genetic variability and develop cultivars with superior genetic yield potential and stress adaptation. »
March 8th, 2016
Published by Access to Seeds Foundation, February 25th, 2016
The Access to Seeds Index 2016 ranks seed companies by measuring and comparing their efforts to improve access to seeds for smallholder farmers. Access to seeds is of importance for smallholders since better quality seeds have the potential to enhance their production, income and food security. The index consists of three indexes: one for major field crop seed companies, one for vegetable seed companies and one regional index for Eastern Africa. »
February 4th, 2016
Published by Future Agricultures, January 19th, 2016
This expert opinion of Dominic Clover assesses to what extend India’s thriving seed sector can play a role in delivering affordable, high-quality seeds to African farmers. Clover argues that India shares some of the diverse agro-ecologies and crops found in Africa, so technologies and methods used by Indian farmers might also be relevant to African situations. India’s development story, as an emerging economy with millions of its own small-scale cultivators, might indeed provide relevant knowledge, expertise and investments to help develop the seed sector in Africa. »
February 1st, 2016
Published by Food Security Journal, January 18th, 2016
This article elaborates on the importance of informal seed markets for African family farmers. Using a comprehensive data set with 9660 observations across six countries and covering 40 crops, the authors show that farmers access 90.2 % of their seed from informal systems with 50.9 % of that deriving from local markets. However, current investments are mostly geared towards formal markets instead of informal ones, while the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition in Africa. »
January 5th, 2016
Published by Seeds of Freedom, December 15th, 2015
The Seeds of Freedom Trilogy tells the story of seed from its roots at the heart of traditional, diversity-rich farming systems across the world, to being transformed into a powerful commodity, used to monopolise the global food system. The films are created by Gaia foundation in partnership with the African Biodiversity Network, MELCA Ethiopia, Navdanya International and Grain. »
January 4th, 2016
Published by Gaia Foundation, December 15th, 2015
This movie narrates the story of Ethiopian plant geneticist Dr Melaku Worede and his lifelong commitment for the acknowledgement of traditional farmers' knowledge and his commitment to secure Ethiopia's crop diversity. The movie tries to underscore the importance of the knowledge of farmers. »
December 23rd, 2015
Published by ACB, December 4th, 2015
The report by The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB), describes how the seed industry in sub-Saharan Africa, far from being a homogenous bloc, is comprised of several layers. These include the largest multinational companies; a number of large companies from Europe and Asia, many of whom specialise in vegetable crops; and a group of former national seed companies from eastern and southern Africa. Joining these established players is a plethora of emerging African seed companies. »
December 23rd, 2015
Published by Biodiversity International, December 11th, 2015
The Resilient Seed Systems Resource Box is a tool to enhance the access and use of crop diversity to adapt to climate change. It is an open-access toolkit with eight steps that provides a methodology to build resilient seed systems and helps farmers adapt to climate change effects. The box can be used to find selected resource to support research processes, or as a learning tool for building capacity in facilitating, conducting or participating in research processes. »
December 10th, 2015
Published by CCAFS, November 25th, 2015
In this article on the CGIAR website, Michael Halewood of Bioversity International reports on the workshop ‘Mutual Implementation of the Plant Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol in the context of wider policy goals’, held Nov. 16-20 in Addis Ababa. The meeting focused on how countries can identify and access diversity they need and share associated benefits. »
November 10th, 2015
Published by Food Policy Journal, October 1st, 2015
This paper in the Food Policy Journal identifies four common misconceptions regarding the nature and importance of farmer seed networks today. (1) Farmer seed networks are inefficient for seed dissemination. (2) Farmer seed networks are closed, conservative systems. (3) Farmer seed networks provide ready, egalitarian access to seed. (4) Farmer seed networks are destined to weaken and disappear. »
October 1st, 2015
Published by Agricultural Systems Journal, September 25th, 2015
This article (PDF) in the Agricultural Systems Journal, demonstrates how informal seed systems' social relationships are structured in two communities and suggests that community-based agrobiodiversity initiatives could use networks to promote more equitable improved seed distribution. Community-based agrobiodiversity management projects have been at the forefront of integrating informal seed systems into food security initiatives. »
September 30th, 2015
Published by Bioversity International, August 1st, 2015
This set of factsheets by Bioversity International shows how the 'Seeds for Needs' initiative works with farmers to research how agricultural biodiversity can help minimize the risks associated with climate change. The concept is simple – if farmers have better information and access to a wide range of varieties, they are more able to choose what best suits their conditions and cope with unpredictable weather. Seeds for Needs is trying to encourage this by exposing farmers to more crop varieties and increase their first-hand knowledge about different traits and options available and strengthening their seed systems and seed-saving capacity so that they always have access to planting material that fits their changing needs. »
September 14th, 2015
Published by CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes, July 10th, 2015
This review consists of two parts. Part one takes a closer look at implementation strategies and models of community seed production practices, while part two focuses on lessons learned and future perspectives. The study covers five case studies in Africa and is based on an analysis of different published and unpublished sources on seed production and seed delivery with a focus on farmer seed management and commercial seed. The review was also informed by interviews with seed system practitioners. »
August 4th, 2015
This report is an outcome of a Seed Security Assessment (SSA) conducted in West Nile sub-region in March 2015. The assessment, which was commissioned by the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) Uganda, was necessitated by the need to fully understand the local community’s perspectives on seed security and how the influx of refugees in the sub-region affects seed demand and supply. »
July 13th, 2015
Published by Journal of Sustainable Development, March 30th, 2015
This article reveals that the evolution of seed policies and regulatory frameworks in Kenya since independence exposes a continuous support for the formal seed sector while support given to the informal sector has merely been intended to transform it into formal. The threats of climate change and rising food prices have stirred renewed attention for seed and food security in Africa, inviting new thinking on the role of seed sector development in coping with these concerns. »
July 13th, 2015
Published by ScienceDaily, February 13th, 2015
This article in ScienceDaily shows that that small farmers, in many cases women, are the ones preserving landraces of food crops. The researchers looked at new census data from 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and combined that data with field observations. »
June 8th, 2015
Published by GRAIN/ La Via Campesina, April 8th, 2015
This paper by La Via Campesina and GRAIN is further exploring seed laws and legislative processes. They explore how seed laws make farmers’ seeds illegal and which types of seed laws are promoted by the industry. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the struggles of farmers with examples from Africa, America, Asia and Europe. »
June 4th, 2015
Published by The World Bank, February 10th, 2015
This World Bank Group (WBG) working paper (PDF), explores the development of integrated regional markets and agricultural input supply chains for farmers in West Africa. The paper is a result of consultations with seed, fertilizer, and regional trade experts in the region. The working paper offers recommendations to build on the progress of West African governments that have worked on the development of trade rules and quality control methods. »
May 4th, 2015
Published by Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation,
This exploratory study by CDI on Rwanda’s seed sector has been commissioned by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kigali. The objectives of the study have been to: analyse the institutional landscape of Rwanda’s seed sector in terms of its capacities, governance and coordination; and advice on policy issues, and potential activities... »
April 22nd, 2015
Published by CIAT, March 24th, 2015
This document (PDF) by CIAT/CGAIR, reports findings from research conducted over the last year on heat tolerance in selected bean lines and show their potential for adapting bean production in Africa and Latin America to future climate change impacts. The paper highlights that high temperatures will become limiting for common bean, especially Latin America is... »
April 22nd, 2015
Published by Access to Seeds Foundation, January 26th, 2015
The Access to Seeds Foundation has commissioned a study focused on improving access to seeds by smallholder farmers. The report (PDF) provides baseline information on the East African regional seed sector detailing both regional and country specific scenarios. The research is based on existing literature and interviews with regional and national seed sector actors. Twelve countries are included: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. »
March 11th, 2015
Published by Cordaid, November 24th, 2014
This report “Seed governance: From Seed aid to Seed system security in Fragile areas” (PDF), by Cordaid, is aimed at developing a coherent and conflict-sensitive approach to seed system rehabilitation, for example through seed provision and/or the revival of seed markets at the local, regional and national level. For this report, Wageningen University conducted a... »
March 3rd, 2015
Published by CTA/ASARECA, March 1st, 2014
This CTA publication (PDF) provides insights into the various seed systems and their policy environments and value chain actors including universities, enterprises, farmers and women’s and regulatory and other support agencies. The paper also discusses the challenges faced in improving seed quality and availability in East and Central Africa. »
March 3rd, 2015
Published by IDS, August 7th, 2014
In July 2014, a regional dialogue on “Strengthening African Seed Systems: Technical, Economic and Policy Challenges” took place in Nairobi, hosted by Future Agricultures and the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development. The workshop aimed to examine the institutional, social and political dimensions of getting seed technologies into use and to highlight the challenges of increasing access to improved seeds for poor farmers through both formal and informal channels. This blog highlights lessons learned from the event, such as the need for re-framing of public policy so that it opens up opportunities for donors, civil society, researchers and farmers to investment in plural seed sector development. »
