The Feed the Future Global Supporting Seed Systems for Development activity (S34D) is a five-year Leader with Associates (LWA) award, funded by the Feed the Future Initiative through the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) and by USAID through the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). S34D was created to enhance farmers’ access to a full range of seed choices and options to maximize their responsive decision-making and planning for production. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partners implement S34D in target trade corridors to promote resilient, nutritious, productive and profitable seed systems. S34D seeks to improve the functioning of formal and informal seed systems and emergency, humanitarian aid and resilience seed programming in Feed the Future target and aligned countries with economic growth, resilience and emergency seed security programs.

S34D seeks collaboration with USG implementing partners to complement their ongoing activities and investments in line with host government agriculture-led inclusive economic growth objectives.

S34D contributes to the GFSS’ Objective 1, inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, by:

1. Strengthening agricultural seed systems, strengthened and expanded access to markets and trade and increased sustainable productivity.

S34D contributes to GFSS Objective 2, strengthened resilience among people and systems, by:

1. Increased sustainable productivity, improved proactive risk reduction, mitigation and management and improved adaptation to and recovery from shocks and stresses.

S34D is an LWA Cooperative Agreement managed by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) made up of a consortium of partners that include Agri Experience, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT (ABC), IFDC, Opportunity International, Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) and Purdue University.

NEW SEED BUSINESS MODELS

• New financial instruments for firms and farmers.
• Reduce bottlenecks to seed system development, availability, access and quality.
• Build the capacity of seed companies to improve efficiency and diversify crops.
• Catalyze new vendors of post-harvest technologies.

DIGITAL FEEDBACK & LAST MILE DELIVERY

• Fee-based multi-sided AgTech digital platform of rural agents for last-mile delivery.
• Assess farmer adoption of new varieties using point-of-sale applications.
• Develop digital training and testing platform for seed inspectors.

SEED DIAGNOSTICS

• Identify methods to improve market forecasting; cost and demand estimation.
• Use DNA fingerprinting to assess the genetic purity of seed.
• Provide seed information, data and analytical services.

EMERGENCY, HUMANITARIAN AND RESILIENT SEED SYSTEMS

• Develop a rapid remote seed security assessment tool.
• Support resiliency in seed systems and mitigate market distortions.
• Develop market-based humanitarian seed interventions.

LIBERALIZE SEED POLICIES & PRACTICES

• Limit free seed distribution to critical needs.
• Implement ‘stop bad seed’ strategies.
• Support policy and regulatory reform implementation.

INTEGRATE SEED SYSTEMS & TRADE CORRIDORS

• Analyze seed access within target grain corridors.
• Facilitate implementation and harmonization of regional seed catalogs and protocols.