Farmers' Seed Systems

Challenges and Adaptation in Farmers' Seed Systems

• FAO studies indicate that 20-40% of West African farmers use food grain as seed due to poverty or inability to select and store seeds.
• Farmers' seed systems are dynamic and based on farmers' knowledge of production conditions and varieties, valuing product qualities for consumption and cultural uses.
• Farmers adapt to climate change by shifting to resilient crops and varieties, changing planting times, and combining crops for risk management.
• Indigenous peoples in the Philippines plant both indigenous and commercial rice varieties and grow hybrid vegetables for resilience and market sales.
• Vulnerabilities of small-holder farmers include environmental hazards, recurrent food shortages, and consumption of premature crops and seeds during hunger periods.
• Environmental calamities such as droughts and floods magnify vulnerabilities, eroding farmers' assets and social networks.
• Women, despite their role in seed management, are particularly vulnerable due to marginalized positions and less access to resources.
• Seed security is an issue after poor cropping seasons, as surpluses to save as seed are scarce, aggravated by climate-induced disasters and protracted human-made disasters.
• Plant diseases and pests, several of which are seed-transmitted, pose a challenge as farmers have limited knowledge about seed-transmitted diseases and their origin.
• Without continuous selection, farmers' varieties can degenerate, leading to the loss of preferred qualities and pest and disease resistance over time.
• Farmers' seed systems are impacted by both natural and human-made disasters, with severe impact on formal and farmers' systems.
• Accumulation of plant diseases is common in farmers' seed systems, posing a challenge to seed quality and productivity.