Seed Systems Development: Enabling and Scaling Genetic Improvement and Propagation Materials

The aim of this call is to generate insights that contribute to improving ‘seed’ systems (including both plant and animal seed stock) in Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa. The rationale for the call is that in many LMICs7, getting improved seed and animal seed stock of good quality from breeders to smallholder and family farms is challenging. While good improved genetic material may be available in particular public research institutes including the CGIAR institutes and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), due to limitations in the seed and animal seed stock value chains and the enabling environment, improved varieties and breeds will often not or not easily be available or accessible for smallholder and family farms in LMICs. Whether the quality improvements to varieties and breeds are based on a solid understanding of farmers’ needs is not always clear. Further, in many LMICs the enabling environment for seed value chains targeting smallholder and family farms is not well developed, and many smallholder and family farms obtain (at least part of) their seed and animal seed stock from the informal sector. Furthermore, the demands of farmers and intermediates in the ‘seed’ value chain such as seed traders are not always the demands of the end users and policy makers. For example, crop varieties and breeds with higher but not visible nutrition value may be strategic for national nutrition security and the attainment of the SDGs, but not attractive to smallholders because the improved nutritional quality is not reflected in an attractive market price. A summary of these and other challenges encountered in (improving) seed systems in LMICs is listed in a background document for this call8, based among others on multi-stakeholder consultation events. The call builds on the premise that development of the seed sector may benefit from research collaboration between practitioners and research institutions from CGIAR, the Netherlands and selected partner countries; new insights and innovative solutions may evolve from synthesizing academic expertise, farmers’ experiences and knowledge, as well as the practical knowledge of companies and NGOs working within the seed sector and its value chains.