Contributions

CGIAR niche. Limited supply of early generation seed (EGS) undermines private sector roll-out of modern varieties. By producing EGS in Malawi, ICRISAT’s Malawi Seed Industry Development Project unlocked the opportunity for seed companies to expand cropped area under improved groundnut by 34% over 5 years.

Box 2. Imperatives for scaling-up and out: Learning from the past. Sources: Walker, T.S and Alwang J. (ed) 2013 Crop improvement, adoption and impact of improved varieties in food crops in Sub-Saharan Africa. CGIAR and CABI International; ICRISAT’s Hybrid Parent Research Consortium (HPRC)www.icrisat.org/pearl-millet.

CoA 4.4: Science of Scaling Seed Technologies

The recent CGIAR-commissioned studies on diffusion of improved varieties (DIIVA for SSA) and (TRIVSA) for South Asia, show remarkable progress in adoption of improved varieties⁸. There are however marked differences among crops and countries. These studies access issues with access to improved seed of GLDC crops at scale, being influenced by demand and supply issues, weak institutions, unsupportive policies and variable agroecological factors. This CoA aims to improve access to improved seed by contributing to improvements in functionality of formal and informal seed uptake pathways.

The informal seed systems are indeed important, with recent studies showing up to 64% purchase of legume seed from the local markets²⁵⁵. The main strength of such systems is the wide access to locally adapted varieties but infusion of new materials is being missed out. Of interest, therefore, is developing and understanding innovative business models for OPV seed, including necessary links to seed treatment, new superior varieties, small pack sizes, revolving seed fund, and savings and credit systems to build a strong market for GLDC seed. Box 2 gives an example of an opportunity to improve GLDC seed systems. Most GLDC crop varieties are released by NARES whose institutional limitations impede production of early seed generations (basic/ foundation seed) for bulking into certified seed. A number of seed system models have been tested to improve access to GLDC seed. (1) The CGIAR in partnership with NARES has produced basic seed for bulking into certified seed by the private sector. ICRISAT’s Hybrid Parents Research Consortium (HPRC)²⁵⁶ is an example of this model; (2) CGIAR networks for market-oriented breeding, seed systems and technology dissemination have been created, such as the PABRA²⁵⁷ model through which 13 million households have accessed new bean varieties from 2009 - 2013; (3) Private sector scaling out of modern varieties through large investments such as of AGRA’s SSTP²⁵⁸, HOPE, TLIII; and (4) Informal systems that use community seed production (for example, by community seed banks) of quality declared seed (QDS) or other locally certified systems. GLDC will strategically partner with AGRA to catalyze access to improved seed of GLD crops in Africa. AGRA will: (a) identify and support startups to supply seed based on farmer demand; (b) grow agro-dealer networks and their hubs, especially in rural areas to improve access to seed and inputs all year round, provide business development services; network them better, and provide credit and finance lines for operations and expansion of storage facilities; (c) create mass awareness of existing seed technologies (d) enhance the use of ICTs such as mobile phones, internet, videos, and interactive radio for scaling out; (e) improve the seed policy environment focusing on foundation seed, implementation of quality control measures for the seed and fertilizer industry.

FP4 will also implement two sets of mutually reinforcing sub-clusters of activities to gain insights for improving the functionality of underinvested GLDC seed value chains serviced through formal and informal systems, their seed flows and how they influence the pattern and dynamics of seed that farmers access, exchange and deploy in their farms:

Leverage current seed system investments to study seed system scenarios of GLDC seed value chains to gain insights into constraints that seed value chain actors face to produce, make available and access quality seed of different varieties at the right time. It will inform the priorities, scheduling and partnership profiles needed to test and/or improve seed systems scaling models. This activity will be integrated with FP1-FP3 and will be conducted in the first year; and

Test the effectiveness of new scaling models based on seed system scenario analysis, with known scaling methods used as counterfactuals. Risk averseness for investment in seed will be studied. ICT-augmented formal and informal systems will be tested to improve linkages between seed producers and buyers and study the HPRC model to scale out legumes, learning from dryland cereals.

These activities will initially commence with a prioritized set of GLDC crops that represent unique combinations of cropping systems x knowledge/technology delivery pathways (formal or informal systems) per region (Sahel, humid tropics, South Asia) in year I. Further, pilot scaling activities integrated with FP3, of selected GLDC crops, will focus on both formal and informal seed systems.