Across Africa, including the Horn of Africa, the impact of climate change resulting from erratic and less predictable rainfall, higher temperatures, heat spells, and recurring droughts, has become evident. As a result of the irregularities and uncertainties created by climate change, farmers can no longer rely on crops and crop varieties that used to do well, with negative impacts on food and nutrition security and the capacity of farmers to withstand shocks.
In the Horn of Africa and other parts of the continent, climate change impact is exacerbating the devastating impact of conflict and war, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of goods and livelihoods, and massive displacement of people inside countries and across borders.
In the previous phase of ISSD Africa, novel strategies and practices, and configurations of actors to work together to mobilise agrobiodiversity for climate change adaptation were identified, documented and reviewed/analysed for insights and lessons learned. Examples from several countries demonstrate that it is feasible to strengthen national seed systems to effectively use crop diversity for sustainable agricultural development and resilience, but challenges remain.
In this new phase of ISSD Africa, new learning questions and activities will validate and, where appropriate, scale, the results obtained in the previous phase through support to partners in countries with protracted crisis situations, including Ethiopia, Somaliland, Northern Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan; while cross regional exchange and learning will be explored with countries in West Africa facing similar crises.
This Action Learning Project will coordinate action research on community seed banks in protracted crisis situations, on crop diversification and participatory crop improvement, and on policies in support of both topics (e.g., addressing key elements of farmer-managed seed systems, such as the recognition and support of community seed banks; and the registration of farmer varieties); document and review crop diversification strategies and practices; carry out capacity development activities; and develop knowledge products and events for sharing of knowledge. It will facilitate the uptake of the Protocol for collaboration between the national genebank and community seed banks; and support the implementation of the Seed Knowledge Hub in South Sudan.
Action learning questions
The main question is what are effective strategies, practices and policy initiatives based on the use of crop/varietal diversity that strengthen farmer-managed seed systems facing the combined impact of protracted crises and climate change.
Different sub-questions are:
- What are promising crop/varietal diversification strategies that allow farmers and their communities to respond more timely and effectively to the combined impact of crises situations and climate change and avoid becoming caught in an prolonged hunger trap or move out of a prolonged hunger trap?
- How can community seed banks, as a form of local, collective action, contribute not only to the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, but also to building up seed stocks at household level, sharing quality seed at scale, developing assets, and contributing to social security and peacebuilding?
- What (new) policy initiatives can support farmer-managed seed sector development at local and national levels, e.g. obtaining recognition and support for community seed banks, registration of farmer varieties, inclusion of participatory crop improvement in breeding programmes, marketing of seeds of farmer varieties and/or products derived from farmer varieties?