Webinar: Changing Agricultural Aid through Farmer Seed Systems
Channel: Agrilinks
Date: 21/04/2017

A better understanding of farmer seed systems can ease transitions from emergency to longer-term agricultural development programs. Understanding how farmers source seeds is key to commercializing and promoting adoption of new varieties. USAID teams can use such context-specific information to more fully support local seed systems and better design assistance programs. For example, various assessment tools can be used to evaluate seed marketing challenges and opportunities both during and after emergency assistance periods.

This special event tracked the changing course of seed-related input assistance. By sharing concrete examples from difficult contexts throughout sub-Saharan Africa, presenters highlighted tools to help practitioners with seed-related decision making and field analysis of seed systems, and explored issues related to both chronic and acute seed insecurity. The event also shared lessons from a variety of seed interventions, including how to determine the best seed distribution approaches such as market-based fairs and vouchers, subsidized seeds, or direct distribution.

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