Usefulness of seed systems for reviving smallholder agriculture: a South African perspective

Abstract

South Africa is considered a food-secure nation; however, food insecurity is still a major challenge for many poor rural households that rely on cash incomes and government grants for survival. Furthermore, these grants are not always adequate to meet households’ basic needs and fail to provide them with the food required for food and nutrition security. Some of these households rely on agriculture to supplement their food needs, and an important aspect of this agricultural production is the seed system. Smallholder farmers in rural areas rely on informal seed systems, and use traditional knowledge and methods to produce, harvest, store, and sell their produce. This research combined quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the role of informal seed systems in promoting food production in rural smallholder agricultural households in South Africa. The narrative review showed reword that while smallholder farmers acquire seed from informal seed systems, they face numerous challenges that affect their production activities. These challenges include poor seed quality and assessment, poor storage and harvesting facilities, which limit proper seed production and affect crop yield and marketing. Due to these challenges, the ability of rural smallholder farmers to access mainstream markets is limited and as a result, they are confined to local markets that offer lower prices. Moreover, South African policies do not recognize the informal seed system as one of the contributors to food security. This is a major limitation as farmers may not receive the support and assistance they require. Formal recognition and support for informal seed systems would go a long way in improving smallholder farmers’ access to quality seed. This would have ripple effects on their yields and productivity. When properly implemented and given recognition by the government, informal seed systems have the potential to contribute to rural food security and livelihoods.

Traditional community-led seed system for maintaining crop vigour, diversity and socio-cultural network in view of the changing climate: a case study from western Himalaya, India

“…The respondents including both men and women aged above 40 are generally involved with the storage of seeds in their respective homes. It was observed that they feel very confident about these practices particularly for traditional varieties which are grown in their fields as compared to hybrid varieties (Moreno et al 2006;Kiruba et al 2006;Montufar and Ayala 2019;Hlatshwayo et al 2021). Further, field experiments confirm that seeds stored above ground showed lower moisture contamination and were less vulnerable to insect attacks.…”

“…Traditional seed system refers to the role of farmers in the management of local landraces which includes seed selection, production, storage and exchanges as gifts, bartered, and purchased from nearby markets (Jensen et al 2013;Nabuuma et al 2022). It supports the socio-cultural practices and strengthens the network of marginal farming communities (Montufar and Ayala 2019) as they rely on their ancestral knowledge systems and traditional storage techniques (Hlatshwayo et al 2021). In addition, it keeps away the diffusion of ex situ seeds which disrupts the local socio-cultural values (Brush 1991(Brush , 1995.…”

Determinants of consumers’ acceptance of indigenous leafy vegetables in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa

“…Mpumalanga is one of the provinces heavily reliant on agriculture as it produces a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, and sugar. The production of these crops plays a significant role in the economic growth and development of Limpopo province (Hlatshwayo et al [20]). It also comprises 167 existing irrigation schemes with small-scale farmers operating on these schemes [8].…”

Evidence of Gender Inequality in Agriculture Related to Climate Change

“…Although a plethora of scientists and organizations have provided strategies for the agricultural industry to address problems brought by climate change, most of them failed to consider these African female farmers separately and their special situations. For instance, genetically improved seeds that are resistant to pests and drought -which are mentioned most frequently in related articles -are not easily accessible to smallholders mainly made up by women due to high seed costs and competition with large farms (Hlatshwayo et al, 2021). Thus, the adaptive seed strategy struggles to solve problems faced by African female farmers thoroughly if deeper, more fundamental social and financial restraints to women are not eliminated.…”