Session facilitators and speakers:

  • Walter de Boef, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
  • Marthe Diallo, KIT, Mali
  • Abdo Woyema, SWR, Ethiopia
  • Tefera Zeray, CRS, Ethiopia
  • Patrick Oyee, ISSD Uganda
  • Maurice Nyombe, FAO, South Sudan
  • Ousmane Sanogo, Sasakawa Africa Association, Mali

Summary:
Taking an integrated approach to seed sector development, several programmes have been strengthening and scaling community-based seed systems. Local seed businesses (LSBs), seed producer cooperatives (SPCs) and other types of seed producer groups in various African countries are critical increasing farmers access to and use of quality seed of an increased portfolio of crops and varieties, especially for those crops for which a business model does not exist for seed companies to engage in production and marketing.

Community-based seed producers (CBSPs) are increasing seed supply, meeting demand for diversified crop and variety portfolios, delivering quality seed closer to smallholder farmers and creating local employment and business opportunities.

Quality declared seed is an assurance system that has been developed in various countries which supports this seed system. Humanitarian and development organizations aiming to enhance the resilience of the seed sector in countries or regions in conflict and crises seek ways to strengthen the seed sector at more local and grassroots levels.

Complementary to seed companies, CBSB/LSB/SPCs emerge as rooted organizations contributing to resilience of the seed sector. Using a world café setting, participants learned from experiences working within a diversity of CBSP systems in Ethiopia, Mali, South Sudan, and Uganda.

They met CBSP experts, explored a diversity of settings and approaches, and zoomed in on their contribution to food and seed resilience, and peace building. Critical aspects that came up was the role that community based seed systems play contributing to food security and resilience through being embedded in local and grassroots organizations and seed systems, and also the way to contribute through community and market linkages between various groups within communities and beyond.

Multiple methods exist in which some take a stronger entrepreneurial approach and others focus to a larger degree on building social capital and cohesion in communities. However, the conclusion was also drawn in the discussion on the link between CBSP and peace building that this topic needs to be further investigated and explored.

The session was concluded with a panel discussion on ways in which organizations in the HDP nexus can partner which stakeholders in community-based seed production.

Key takeaways:

  • Community based seed production is an important seed system to be strengthen enhancing seed sector resilience and ensuring that farmers continue to have access to a quality seed for a wide portfolio of crops.
  • Multiple methods exist in strengthen CBSP varying between taking a strong entrepreneurial approach and those focusing to a larger degree on building social capital and cohesion in communities in seed supply.
  • It is recommended for ISSD Africa to further explore the link between various approaches strengthening CBSP within a context of peace building especially addressing aspects of social capital and cohesion.