This webinar took place on September 24th, 2025. Below you can watch the recording of the webinar and access the slides shared in the session.
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The webinar hosts shared their interest to hear from people or organisations who have relevant cases of seed security programming in conflict areas. Our hope is to convene an in-person international workshop to consolidate lessons learned and strengthen our collective conflict-intentional programme design. Should you wish to be part of this initiative please contact us:
Introduction to the webinar
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 webinar discussed the content and rationale for a new working paper that aims to make emergency seed security responses more “conflict-intentional” —ensuring they adapt to the realities of war and instability. Drawing on evidence from 10 African countries and over 25 cases, the webinar xplored 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?
The session also presentded four actions agencies can take now to make seed security programming more conflict-intentional.
🎙️ Speakers
- Louise Sperling: Research Director, SeedSystem, LLC
- Geoffrey Otim: Senior Advisor, Seed Systems, Mercy Corps
- Julie March: Former USAID Production Systems Director