Session facilitators and speakers:

  • Abishkar Subedi, WUR-WCDI (Facilitator);
  • Oliver Callaghan, WUR-WCDI (Co-facilitator)
  • Phillip Priestley, Conflict Analyst, Conflict and Peace Unit (CPU), Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER), FAO, Rome
  • Maurice Amollo, Technical Director, Africa Region, Mercy Corps, Nairobi

Summary:
The second session of the Action Learning project (ALP4) on Seed Governance and Peace focused on opportunities (and challenges) for seed interventions to contribute towards peace.
There is little understanding of how peacebuilding relates to seed sector development and seed governance mechanisms in fragile and conflict-affected (FCA) contexts. How can seed sector development interventions potentially do harm? What would it mean for seed sector development and governance initiatives to contribute towards peace in FCA contexts? What are some of the key opportunities and challenges in this regard? To facilitate understanding and dialogue among participants, this session shared experiences from FAO and Mercy Corps programming on conflict and peacebuilding, focusing on the above key questions.

Effective peacebuilding begins with prioritizing the principle of ‘First, Do No Harm’ to minimize negative impacts before advancing positive contributions. Pathways to promote local peace involve integrating local actors’ perspectives and expertise to ensure projects are relevant and effective. Flexibility is crucial, allowing for a shift in project focus to address evolving conflict dynamics. Inclusion and conflict management strategies must be sensitive to local gender norms, fostering inclusivity and resolving conflicts effectively. Complementary activities should synergize with existing efforts to strengthen peace outcomes. Engaging local authorities and fostering dialogue within communities is essential for promoting sustainable peace, while partnerships with other organizations amplify impact through shared resources and expertise.

The seed sector can play a crucial role in promoting sustained peacebuilding outcomes in conflict-affected regions by enhancing livelihoods and economic stability but there is lack of evidence. By increasing access to livelihood opportunities, especially among marginalized groups such as women and youth, the sector contributes to community resilience against shocks. Aligning seed programming with local contexts and fostering partnerships further strengthens the scalability and long-term impact of peacebuilding efforts.

Participants recognized the importance of integrating the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus, though specifics on how remained unclear. They agreed that peacebuilding addresses conflict root causes, noting that many seed interventions potentially contribute, albeit without clear mechanisms. Despite diverse aims across HDP actors, all acknowledge conflict’s detrimental impact on food security. Participants highlighted development actors’ vested interest in peace for effective interventions and resilience-building. They argued that seed programmes foster stability by generating economic incentives and fostering social cohesion through community collaboration. An example cited was Ugandan community seed banks potentially reducing domestic violence by empowering women economically, prompting interest in exploring such unintended benefits further.

Key takeaways:

Understanding and Integration: There is a significant gap in understanding how seed sector development and governance relate to peacebuilding in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Efforts should focus on integrating these sectors more effectively to maximize positive impacts and minimize potential harms.

Prioritizing conflict sensitivity: Effective peacebuilding through seed sector interventions requires a proactive approach to conflict sensitivity. This involves understanding local dynamics, potential risks, and the unintended consequences of interventions, while actively working to mitigate these through tailored strategies

Role of economic stability: Understanding the seed sector role in promoting sustained peacebuilding outcomes by enhancing livelihoods, social cohesion and economic stability, especially for marginalized groups. Aligning seed programming with local contexts and fostering partnerships can further enhance scalability and long-term impact.

Need for documentation and analysis: Despite increasing seed sector related work in conflict areas, there is a lack of well-documented and analyzed cases. There is a clear opportunity to improve documentation and analysis of successful practices and challenges to inform future interventions and ensure effectiveness.