Access to seeds: From emergencies to seed system development

The primary objective of ACCESS is to generate research-based knowledge and innovations for seed security for humanitarian and long-term agricultural development in Malawi, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

prosjekt

About/Aims

Background

Seeds are entangled in the ecological, social, cultural and economic fabric of rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Seeds underpin food security and play a fundamental role in efforts to make food systems more sustainable. At the same time, seeds are 'big business' in economic terms. Tension between the social and economic aspects of seed is the reason for many 'seed struggles' around the world. Behind the controversies over ownership and breeding technologies, what is it that actually determines farmers’ and food systems’ 'seed security'?

Objectives

The primary objective is addressed through four secondary objectives:

Understanding seed use from large national livelihood data sets
Understanding farmers’ seed access and preferences through micro-level livelihood studies and choice experiments.
Understanding the political economy, legal frame conditions for farmers’ access to seed as well as business development and job-creation opportunities in seed systems development.
Co-production of seed system innovation for seed security

More about the project

ACCESS takes a transdisciplinary approach. The project is carried out by an international and multidisciplinary research group with researchers from crop science, economics, political science, development studies and law and engages with seed system actors to co-produce institutional innovations.

Understanding seed use

The diversity of crop species and varieties is the biological basis for our food systems. For this diversity to contribute to food security, it must be accessible to those growing the food – farmers must be seed secure. This project (ACCESS) seeks to understand and strengthen farmers’ access to preferred and well-adapted crop varieties.

Instead of starting from a standpoint of assumptions on what types of seeds are best, ACCESS puts farmers’ livelihoods and preferences at the centre of the analysis. The project will generate research-based knowledge and innovations for seed security as well as humanitarian and agricultural development in three African countries: Malawi, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

The project team will use a combination of nationally representative survey analyses, individual household (micro-level) studies and choice experiments to understand how seed is used and the preferences of farmers regarding seeds.

The quantitative analysis will be contextualized by research on the political economy and legal frameworks that affect farmers regarding their access to seed. Business development and job creation opportunities related to seed system development will also be analysed.

Seed system innovation

ACCESS will yield solid empirical knowledge about farmers’ needs, challenges and preferences when it comes to seeds and thereby contribute to better seed-related development policy and practice.

Incorporating the knowledge generated, the team aims to participate in the co-production of seed system innovation, together with strategic national and international actors, with the objective of seed security.

News/Findings

Results/findings

25 February 2020
ACCESS project leader Ola Westengen contributed as expert advisor to a high-level meeting of the UN Secretary General’s Advocacy Group for the Sustainable Development Goals. The meeting focused on the links between SDG target 2.5 on maintaining genetic diversity and the wider 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The meeting, held in Longyearbyen in Svalbard, led to the launch of the Arctic Call to Action on Food Security and Climate Change.

14 November 2019
Book launch. The book Farmers and Plant Breeding (Routledge 2020) will be launched at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) headquarters in Rome. The book brings together experiences in farmer–breeder collaborative plant breeding from around the world. The book is edited by Ola T. Westengen and Tone Winge. The launch will take place during the meeting of the parties (Governing Body) to the Plant Treaty. More about the book.

22 August 2019
In line with the co-innovation objective of ACCESS, the project manager Ola Westengen moderated a seminar between representatives from ministries, NGOs and academia on Norway’s official development assistance to conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources. The meeting was held at Norad on 22 August 2019.

Reviews

Publications

Westengen OT (2020) What happens with access to seeds in times of crisis? A popular science article on ACCESS in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic published in the Norwegian daily, Aftenposten.

Westentgen OT & Winge T. (eds) (2020) Farmers and Plant Breeding - Current Approaches and Perspectives. London. Routledge.

Westengen OT, Haug R, Guthiga P, Macharia EJF (2019) Governing seeds in East Africa in the face of climate change: Assessing political and social outcomes 3:53

Master theses:

Vansant E. (2019) Beyond Blanket Solutions: Examining the Potential of Community Seed Banks to Improve Maize Seed Security in Northern Malawi. NMBU

Researchers

Participating NMBU researchers

Ruth Haug

Professor

ruth.haug@nmbu.no

Arild Angelsen

Professor

arild.angelsen@nmbu.no

Stein Terje Holden

Professor

stein.holden@nmbu.no

Clifton Makate

PhD Candidate

clifton.makate@nmbu.no

External participants

	Regine Andersen Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway
	Joseph Hella Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
	Moti Jaleta International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
	Munyaradzi Mutenje International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
	Bram de Jonge Wageningen University, Netherlands