Event Information

Many smallholder farmers rely on local seed varieties to produce staple food crops. Distributed through informal systems, farmers select varieties based on a number of factors including environmental considerations, socioeconomic factors, access and taste preferences. These systems may contribute to the food security of a region, but farmers may also encounter barriers to accessing good quality seed including quality controls and storage issues.

In this Ag Sector Council seminar, geographer and environmental scientist Karl Zimmerer from the Pennsylvania State University described his research in mapping local land races and highlighted some of the lessons learned from this body of work. He also introduced a promising new methodology for gathering a robust census of local seed varieties in a given region. We were also be joined by expert Victor Afari-Sefa of The World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), who discussed methods for improving the quality of informal sector seeds and introducing and integrating improved varieties into local networks. This was followed by Tashfiq Ahsan and Md. Mehedi Hasan from Swisscontact, who discussed a project that they are implementing in Bangladesh, working with the private sector to disseminate small seed packets and improving quality seed distribution.