Why interventions in the seed systems of roots, tubers and bananas crops do not reach their full potential

Abstract

Seed systems for roots, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops receive relatively little attention from development-oriented research and commercial seed sector actors, despite their importance for food security, nutrition and rural livelihoods. We review RTB seed systems-with particular reference to potato, sweetpotato, cassava, yam and banana -to reflect on current seed system development approaches and the unique nature of these systems. We refer to our own experiences, literature and 13 case studies of RTB seed system interventions to identify gaps in our knowledge on farmer practices in sourcing and multiplying seed, and processes affecting seed quality. Currently, most approaches to developing RTB seed systems favour decentralised multiplication models to make quality seed available to smallholder farmers. Nevertheless, arguments and experiences show that in many situations, the economic sustainability of these models cannot be guaranteed, among others because the effective demand of farmers for seed from vegetatively propagated crops is unclear. Despite the understudied nature of farmers' agronomic and social practices in relation to seed production and sourcing in RTB crops, there is sufficient evidence to show that local RTB seed systems are adaptive and dynamic. Our analysis suggests the paramount importance of understanding farmers' effective demand for seed and how this affects the sustainable supply of quality seed from specialized producer-entrepreneurs, regardless of the seed system paradigm. From the case studies we learnt that few interventions are designed with a rigorous understanding of these issues; in particular, what types of interventions work for which actors, where, and why, although this is a necessary condition for prioritizing investments to increase the use of improved seed by smallholder farmers.

Efficiency of insect‐proof net tunnels in reducing virus‐related seed degeneration in sweet potato

“…Actionable economic thresholds can also be difficult to formulate without good models of yield loss and good information about farmer willingness to pay. In sub‐Saharan Africa, the challenge of anticipating likely economic thresholds is compounded by sociocultural values that surround sweet potato seed acquisition (Almekinders et al , ). For the farmers in this study, decline in cultivar performance might be tolerated for many seasons due to the subsistence nature of their farming systems.…”

Culturally embedded practices of managing banana diversity and planting material in central Uganda

“…These interventions are usually based on strengthening "formal" seed-supply systems, characterized by specialized organizations dealing with breeding and distribution of tested and approved varieties, applying strict quality controls (Almekinders, Louwaars, and de Bruijn 1994). Farmers in developing countries often have limited access to seed from formal seed-supply systems, which inhibits the adoption of new seed with the potential to out-perform the materials they have in their fields (Indimuli 2013;Almekinders et al 2019). This lack of access to formal seed supplies is partly attributed to a poor understanding of the dynamics of the (informal) seed systems on which farmers rely for their seed sourcing (e.g., Almekinders, Louwaars, and de Bruijn 1994).…”

Collective Production and Marketing of Quality Potato Seed: Experiences from Two Cooperatives in Chencha, Ethiopia

“…In seed production, the principal reason to promote collective efforts stems from the failure of the public sector to arrive at a sustainable seed sector that provides farmers with quality seed of improved varieties, the Ethiopian potato seed sector being a case in point (Hirpa et al, 2010). Currently, decentralization and private sector participation are presented as effective strategies to increase availability and access of quality seed to smallholder farmers (Almekinders et al, 2019;Louwaars and De Boef, 2012;Scoones and Thompson, 2011). Farmer groups, cooperatives and other forms of community seed production are seen as sitting in between the formal and informal seed systems, being able to bridge the traditional with the commercial seed supply (FAO and ICRISAT, 2015).…”

“…In spite of many initiatives to set up community or farmer-group-based seed production, there is little empirical evidence about farmer group functioning in producing and marketing quality seed (Almekinders et al, 2019;FAO and ICRISAT, 2015). For potato seed production in Ethiopia, Oumer et al (2014) showed how potato seed production empowered female farmer groups.…”