Category: Sharing knowledge on Seeds

Week 125 – Discussion Paper: Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption

Authors: BY CAROLINE MIEHE, BJORN VAN CAMPENHOUT, LEOCARDIA NABWIRE, ROBERT SPARROW AND DAVID J. SPIELMAN
Keywords: maize, smallholders, Uganda, bias

“To fully benefit from new agricultural technologies like improved seed varieties, significant investment in complementary inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and practices such as systematic planting, irrigation, and weeding are also required. Farmers may fail to recognize the importance of these complements, leading to unsatisfactory crop yields and outputs and, eventually, dis-adoption of the variety. We provide a simple model of biased expectations, complementary input use and technology adoption and test its predictions using a field experiment among smallholder maize farmers in eastern Uganda. We find that pointing out the importance of complementary investments using a short, engaging video effectively deters some farmers from using commercial improved varieties. Consistent with the theoretical model, we find some evidence that this behavior change emanates from increased knowledge and expectations that are more in line with realized outcomes.” […]

Click on the following link to access the content: https://ebrary.ifpri.org/digital/collection/p15738coll2/id/136700
© CGIAR

Week 124 – Journal Article: Women’s seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania

Authors: by CATHY ROZEL FARNWORTH, ALESSANDRA GALIÈ, TATIANA GUMUCIO, HUMPHREY JUMBA, BERBER KRAMER AND CATHERINE RAGASA, IFPRI
Keywords: gender, entrepreneurship, maize, sotghum Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania

“Seed systems are essential to bring good genetic material to farmers. Women farmers, however, have benefited less than men farmers from seed systems in low and middle income countries. We identify factors that inhibit and promote women’s success in seed businesses through three case studies of women’s and men’s entrepreneurship across seed-related value chains and country contexts: tilapia seed production in Ghana, marketing and trading of improved maize and sorghum seeds in Kenya, and chicken seed dissemination in Tanzania. Applying a gender lens, we use key informant interviews and focus group discussions to analyze women’s and men’s motivations to engage in seed businesses, the challenges they confront to start and build their enterprises, and prospects for sustainability and continued success. We use quantitative data to characterize the levels of empowerment of the agripreneurs sampled. For women, the results show that the social normative context of the sector is critical. Time flexibility and profitability are important considerations for women’s engagement. Furthermore, across all three country cases, family and external support are frequently key to women’s participation and success in seed agripreneurship. The article discusses the importance of government bodies, NGOs, and donors in challenging the normative context around gender resource gaps, as well as provide technical packages and training to develop business acumen. Supporting change of restrictive gender norms in non-threatening ways – such as ICTs – is key.”

Click on the following link to access the content: https://www.ifpri.org/publication/womens-seed-entrepreneurship-aquaculture-maize-and-poultry-value-chains-ghana-kenya-and
© CGIAR

Week 123 – Working Paper: Impact of the Ongoing Conflict on Smallholder Farmers in Sudan

Authors: by Oliver Kirui, Khalid Siddig, Mosab Ahmed, Hala Abushama, and Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse
Keywords: Sudan, conflict, smallholders, seed delivery

“This study addresses the impact of the ongoing conflict in Sudan on smallholder farmers’ intentions and challenges during the 2023 summer agricultural season. A nationally representative survey of 3,284 smallholder farmers was conducted. Due to the security hazards and connectivity challenges, we used a combination of three interview types, Interactive Voice Recording (IVR), Computer-Assisted-Telephone-Interviews (CATI) and face-to-face (in-person) interviews. Key findings are that close to a third of the farmers were displaced from their farms’ locations and 40 percent were unable to prepare for planting season because of the conflict. Most of the farmers who did not prepare for the summer season at the time of the interview were not intending to plant later in the season.” […]

Click on the following link to access the content: https://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/137064/filename/137277.pdf
© CGIAR

Week 122 – Discussion Paper: The role of gender in bargaining: Evidence for selling seed to smallholders in Uganda

Authors: Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia
Keywords: gender; seed policies; marketing; Uganda

“In rural societies with strong gender norms and customs, small informal agribusinesses may often be one of the few ways in which women can independently generate revenue. However, previous research has indicated that female run business may be perceived less favorably compared to their male counterparts. In this paper, we examine potential consequences of these
biased perceptions on business transactions.[…]”

Click on the following link to access the content: https://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/137074/filename/137285.pdf

© CGIAR

Week 121 – Discussion Paper: Seed Certification and Maize, Rice and Cowpea Productivity in Nigeria

Authors: Hiroyuki Takeshima; Tahirou Abdoulaye; Kwaw S. Andam; Hyacinth O. Edeh; Adetunji Fasoranti; Beliyou Haile; P. Lava Kumar; Chibuzo Nwagboso; Catherine Ragasa; David Spielman; Tesfamichael Wossen
Keywords: seed policies; quality seeds; quality assurance; Nigeria

“Despite the potential importance of seed quality to agricultural productivity growth, many governments in sub-Saharan Africa lack the capacity to expand quality assurance systems even where there is expressed interest. This study aims to evidence the value of quality assurance systems with an analysis of efforts to produce and distribute certified seed in Nigeria. […]”

Click on the following link to access the content: https://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/136474/filename/136684.pdf

© 2024 CGIAR

Week 119 – Workshop Proceedings: Gender Dynamics in Seed Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and Worldwide Lessons Workshop

Authors: Adam, R. I. and Muindi, P.
Keywords: gender; seed policies; quality seeds

“Seed is life. Seed systems are complex and multilayered, involving diverse interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral actors in multiple fronts, from seed conservation to multiplication; improved breeding; regulatory sanitary and phytosanitary measures (for safety and quality assurance); and distribution and sale. Seed systems are also highly dynamic,constantly forming and reforming. The gender challenge then is to first clearly understand how these dynamics affect women, youth, men and other marginalized groups, and then to ensure that these shifting dynamics and end-results do not however widen the gaps, especially by gender. Thus, the Gender Dynamics in Seed Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and Worldwide Lessons Workshop was convened on 2nd December 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya, to examine this challenge, and how to address it. […]”

Click on the following link to access the content: https://repository.cimmyt.org/bitstream/handle/10883/20702/61357.pdf?sequence=6

© CIMMYT

Week 118 – Research article: Estimating seed demand in the presence of market frictions: evidence from an auction experiment in Nigeria

Authors: By T. Wossen, D.J. Spielman, A. Alene and T. Abdoulaye
Keywords: auctions; Nigeria; markets
“This paper measures the effect of seed quality misperceptions on bidding behavior and demand for high-quality seed using an information-provision experiment within an incentive-compatible Vickery Second Price (SPA) auction mechanism that mimics seed purchasing decisions in the presence of seed market frictions. We find that most individuals are prone to quality misperception and revise their bids upwards (downwards) in response to positive (negative) quality signals. In addition, by exploiting random variation in the timing of cash grants, we show that imperfect information influences farmer seed valuation, even in the presence of potentially binding liquidity constraints. We also demonstrate that the provision of quality information does not fully resolve quality misperceptions. We then show that unresolved or persistent misperception is severe enough to distort bidding behavior, and ignoring it could lead to biased willingness-to-pay estimates.” […]

Click on the following link to access the content: https://www.ifpri.org/publication/estimating-seed-demand-presence-market-frictions-evidence-auction-experiment-nigeria
© CGIAR

Week 117 – Data set: Making Seed Systems and Markets for Vegetatively Propagated Crops (VPCs) Work for the Poor: A Cross-Country Study of Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam

Authors: IFPRI, CIAT, CIP, IITA, MSU
Keywords: vegetative propagation; Kenya; Nigeria; markets

“Many developing-country farmers cultivating vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs)—crops such as cassava, potato, sweetpotato, and yam—face constrained access to quality planting material. This challenge is distinct from the challenges facing cereal crops, and is associated with both the unique biological and economic nature of vegetative propagation. Although technological solutions exist, there are other limiting factors relating to policies, institutions, and markets that shape VPC seed systems, e.g., quality assurance mechanisms, certification regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and plant variety protection.” […]

Click on the following link to access the content: https://www.ifpri.org/publication/making-seed-systems-and-markets-vegetatively-propagated-crops-vpcs-work-poor-cross
© CGIAR, MSU

Week 116 – Conference Paper: Summing the parts: How does “bundling” affect willingness-to-pay for seeds and insurance in a sample of Kenyan farmers?

Authors: IFPRI, Berber Kramer, Carol Waweru and Jonathan G. Malacarne
Keywords: market; seed policies; institutional building; Kenya

“Agricultural households, particularly those operating in rainfed systems in low income countries, are vulnerable to a variety of climate and market risks that pose serious threats to their well-being. While more resourced households are able to pass much of this risk on to financial markets, less resourced households often have few options to do the same.” […]

Click on the following link to access the content: https://www.ifpri.org/publication/summing-parts-how-does-%E2%80%9Cbundling%E2%80%9D-affect-willingness-pay-seeds-and-insurance-sample

© CGIAR