ID21 Insights Site map Seeds for survival - supplying seeds in an emergency Natural disasters and war wreak havoc on the economies of developing countries. Since 1980, for example, all ten countries in the Greater Horn of Africa have experienced drought or armed conflict.
Emergencies vary in size and length.
There is usually an acute phase followed by a period of settling down and, finally, a rehabilitation phase. Sometimes the situation remains acute for months or years, often due to a chronic political climate. ESP usually starts during the settling down period and is suitable only in the short-term. At the start, emergency seed might be distributed to all farmers and, later, only those who need it most. It should be followed by the development of local seed capacity, to help build resistance to future emergencies.