The harvest is in the seed

Farmers seed systems

02 Nov 2022

Week 76 – Policy Guidance: Community Seed Production – Workshop Proceedings 9-11 December 2013

Authors: CO Ojiewo, S Kugbei, Z Bishaw and JC Rubyogo (eds) , 2013
Key words: governance; community seeds

Over the past decade, there has been an emerging trend to lower yield gaps through promoting more efficient and accessible input markets and ‘market-led technology adoption in agriculture’. READ MORE

03 Aug 2022

Week 63 – Online presentation: Revitalization of Farmer Managed Seed Systems in Tanzania

Author: Ayesiga Buberwa (Iles de la Paix) at the ECHO East Africa Symposium, 28-30 Sep 21
Topics: biodiversity; farmers’ seed systems; utilization; Tanzania

This presentation has been held on the 30th of September at the 6th ECHO East Africa Biennial Symposium on Sustainable Agriculture and Appropriate Technologies.

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27 Jul 2022

Week 62 – Briefing paper: The future of food: seeds for resilience

Author: Global Alliance for the Future of Food
Topics: biodiversity; farmers’ seed systems; conservation

In order to understand the landscape of initiatives working to advance seed diversity globally, the Global Alliance commissioned a Compendium of Perspectives to illustrate a nuanced discussion on agricultural biodiversity, at times aligned and at times divergent.

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20 Jul 2022

Week 61 – Briefing paper: Changing the discourse, policy and practice in farmer seed systems in Africa

Author: African Centre for Biodiversity
Topics: biodiversity; farmers’ rights; farmers’ seed systems; resilience

Farmers’ seed constitutes the majority of seed used and exchanged. Crops produced from this seed contribute substantially to food and nutrition security for billions of people. However, these seeds receive scant recognition, and there is limited support for their reproduction, adaptation and use by farmers, for farmers.READ MORE

13 Jul 2022

Week 60 – Briefing paper: Zanzibar’s draconian seed law in the offing

Author: African Centre for Biodiversity
Topics: seed laws; biodiversity; farmers’ rights; farmers’ seed systems

This paper highlights the role that seed laws play in facilitating the expansion of the Green Revolution project on the continent, by creating regulatory environments that enable corporate entry and control of seed and agriculture systems.READ MORE

09 Mar 2022
@PABRA

Week 43 – Research Study: Empowering Zinduka Women’s Group in Tanzania to Produce Quality Bean Seed and Better Their Community

Author: PABRA, 2022
Topics: seed systems; farmer’s systems; capacity development; gender; youth inclusion

In 2010, a Zinduka women’s group based in the Mshewe village in the Mbeya region of the southern highlands of Tanzania was established.

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10 Dec 2021
©Agrilinks & USAID

Week 36 – High-Quality Seed Production by Smallholder Farmer Groups: A Global Case Study

Author: Bhramar Dey, Catholic Relief Services & Bert Visser, Oxfam’s SD=HS., 2020
Topics: quality seeds; case study; farmers’ seed systems; conservation

Farmers have always played a key role in seed production, varietal maintenance and serving local and regional communities with agroecologically adapted varieties that are demanded by smallholder farmers. Increasingly, smallholder farmers have organized themselves in various ways to produce seed for local markets. However, the operational efficiencies,READ MORE

29 Jun 2021
©Agrilinks

Week 35 – Webinar: The Informal Seed Sector: A Behind the Seeds Look

Author: Agrilinks, 2015
Topics: Informal seed sector, access to seeds, quality seeds

Many smallholder farmers rely on local seed varieties to produce staple food crops. Distributed through informal systems, farmers select varieties based on a number of factors including environmental considerations, socioeconomic factors, access and taste preferences. These systems may contribute to the food security of a region, but farmers may also encounter barriers to accessing good quality seed including quality controls and storage issues.

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20 May 2021
©SNP

Week 30 – Meeting Report: Multi-actor consultation workshop on the recognition of traditional / farmers’ seeds and farmers’ rights in seed legislation in Mali

Author: Semences, Normes et Paysans (SNP), 2017
Topics: Dialogue, informal seed system, traditional varieties, farmers’ rights, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture and Food (ITPGRFA)

From 11 to 13 September, 2017, a multi-stakeholder consultation was held on traditional and farmer seeds at the Practical Forest Training Center of Tabakoro. Under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Agriculture of Mali, the workshop recorded the participation of representatives of the Ministry of higher education and scientific research (MESRS); the Ministry of environment, sanitation and sustainable development (MEADD), as well as the Ministry livestock and fisheries. In addition to participants from Mali, the sub-region, others came from South Africa and France to share their experiences on the topic discussed.

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