Emergency response and seed system development need to be informed by ‘state-of-the-art’ thinking. The seed aid and seed system fields are full of myths and full of untested opportunities. Some of the emerging critical issues, such as ‘resilience in seed systems’ and ‘links between food and seed security’, are addressed below.

Resources of the Month

Breaking through the 40% adoption ceiling: Mind the seed system gaps. A perspective on seed systems research for development in One CGIAR Informal Seed Traders: The Backbone of Seed Business and African Smallholder Seed Supply Analysis of cost structure and pricing strategy for sweet potato Early Generation Seed – examining experiences from Kenya and Ghana (S Rajendran, M McEwan, F Munguti, M Quain) Creating a sustainable cassava seed value chain in Nigeria (H Nitturkar, E Azaino) Enhancing Resilience of Farmer Seed System to Climate-Induced Stresses: Insights from a Case Study in West Nile Region, Uganda (Monika K. Kansiime & Astrid Mastenbroek) Emergency Vegetable Seed: Observations from 20 Years of Programming (P Marks) Reaching the Last Mile: PABRA's Experience (RA Buruchara et al)

Videos

The 10 Guiding Principles of Good Seed Aid Practice Integrated Seed Sector Development - Guiding Principles Seed is Big Business What is Seed Security?

Resources by select theme:

COVID-19 and Seed

UN food security Cluster: emergency seed guidance and COVID-19COVID-19 + Seed Security Seed Security in wake of Corona Virus Webinar #5: Seed Assistance in Fragile Contexts: Practical Lessons for the COVID-19 Response Rapid Seed Sector AssessmentsMyanmar Nligeria Uganda Ethiopia

Food and Seed Security

Links Between Food Security and Seed Security Gaps in Seed Security Strategy Myths in Emergency Seed Aid

Seed Relief and Seed Systems: an Annotated Bibliography

Seed Relief and Seed Systems: an Annotated Bibliography, updated 2020

Seed Aid

Long-term Seed Aid in Ethiopia – Summary Long-term Seed Aid in Ethiopia – Full Kenya Seed Aid Rwanda Seeds of Hope Seed Aid FAO Conference Targeting Seed Aid Interventions- Workshop Seed Governance to Seed System Security The seed system and seed relief bilbiography Moving toward more effective seed aid

Seed Systems, Resilience and Markets

Seed systems smallholder farmers use Local Seed Markets Resilience and Seed Systems Understanding Seed Systems Leveraging Farmers' Coping Strategies SSSA and the Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis Market led Interventions in Emergency Seed Security Response report

Integrated Seed System Development

Integrating Seed Systems Framework for intervening in seed systems Bean seed delivery models

Policy Briefs

Policy Brief SSSA