Crises around the world are increasingly recurrent, protracted and complex, requiring humanitarian and development interventions to address both immediate and longer-term challenges. Where exposure to these crises is combined with an insufficient coping capacity at the level of the state, system and/or community to manage, absorb or mitigate these risks- fragility exists.
Fragile states are home to 24% of the world’s population but 73% of the world’s extreme poor. In these contexts, which are affected by natural disasters, epidemics and economic, societal and/or political upheaval, conflict is often a driver and result of fragility – in addition to these other risks. Humanitarian and development stakeholders working in fragile contexts must avoid cyclical short-term responses in fragile contexts and address root causes.
Seed market systems (formal, informal and intermediary) are interconnected and interdependent sets of actors – such as farmers,seed breeders, producers, multipliers, traders and agrodealers – supported by market functions including transportation, information services, financial services, storage and infrastructure and rules, such as social norms, seed trade protocols ,seed regulations and standards.
Shocks and stresses can impact and disrupt actors at all these levels, who may struggle to cope and recover, further disrupting seed market functions. However, even during emergencies, it is rare for all markets to collapse. Local markets tend to be resilient and rebound quickly. Not only do people often find new economic outlets during crises, they usually depend on their local markets, local private sector actors,local seed banks, social networks and local support systems more than they depend on formal sector supply or on external seed aid. Local market actors are also among the quickest to adapt to meet vulnerable populations’ needs.
Market-based initiatives target essential market functions, businesses, and institutions, and have more reach and impact than typical aid-driven, recipient-focused interventions. If applied correctly, market-based strategies can improve the capacity of markets to provide farmers and households with critical benefits, such as seed, basic services, and credit, with greater reach and adaptability than humanitarian agencies can achieve directly.
Seed systems in fragile contexts need to function amid fluid situations and absorb the effects of market disruptions, displacement and other conflict features while enabling access to a diversity of crops and varieties to support vulnerable populations. Market-based initiatives that address immediate needs, while also laying the foundations for longer term stability, can help build the foundation for functioning seed systems.They ensure sufficient quantities of quality, preferred seed varieties are available, accessible and utilised, and improve the systems’ long-term resilience.
Addressing needs in these complex contexts re-enforces the importance of developing longer-term interventions that address humanitarian needs as well as development and peacebuilding challenges. For effective seed response in fragile contexts, HDP actors must understand the complexities of disaster-prone, climate-stressed and conflict contexts so as to adapt their interventions to their unique challenges and opportunities while maximising the impact and sustainability of programs and reducing the need for humanitarian assistance (HA) over time.
Action learning questions:
Key Question 1: What market-based interventions are most effective in building seed systems performance and resilience in fragile contexts?
Sub questions which may be addressed during the course of study:
1.1 What market-based seed systems interventions have been successful at improving seed security in fragile contexts?
1.2 What barriers do humanitarian and development actors face in supporting market-based seed systems interventions in fragile contexts?
1.3 What specific conflict factors need to be considered by HDP actors when facilitating market- based seed systems interventions in fragile contexts, and what are the promising ways these factors can be addressed?
1.4 What promising market-based approaches can potentially increase the resilience of seed systems in fragile contexts?
Key Question 2: What strategies and business models enable informal and formal private sector seed systems stakeholders to better prepare for and respond to shocks and stresses in fragile contexts?
Sub questions which may be addressed during the course of study:
2.1 What strategies enable informal and formal private sector seed actors to respond to demand – especially in last mile areas and for different vulnerable groups – in fragile contexts?
2.2 What barriers do informal and formal private sector seed actors face in preparing their businesses for and/or responding to shocks and stresses in fragile contexts?
2.3 What adjustments do informal and formal private sector seed stakeholders need to make to their business models to effectively meet market demand in the face of shocks and stresses in fragile contexts?