Armed conflicts affect at least 18 countries in Africa, with incidents in sub-Saharan Africa nearly doubling over the last decade.
Despite instability, many smallholder farmers continue to sow and harvest—often under extraordinary circumstances. In North Kivu, DRC, for example, farmers have navigated over 30 years of upheaval—more than 60 planting seasons. Alongside, emergency seed interventions have sought to stabilize these systems—sometimes repeatedly in the same places.
This paper aims to make emergency seed security responses more “conflict-intentional” – ensuring they adapt to the realities of war and instability.
It explores three key questions:
- What happens to seed systems during conflict, and what changes?
- Which seed security interventions are used in these contexts, and are they different from the usual ?
- Are programs sufficiently tailored to shifting conflict challenges and technical needs?
What’s inside?
- Evidence from 10 African countries and over 25 cases, including efforts tied to peacebuilding
- An introduction to conflict-intentional programming that helps teams spot conflict-induced changes and adapt responses through clear technical modifications
- Four actions agencies can take now to make seed security responses more conflict-intentional