Supportive policy environment on informal seed systems leads to increased use of local climate-resilient varieties

CCAFS. 2021. Supportive policy environment on informal seed systems leads to increased use of local climate-resilient varieties. Wageningen, the Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Bioversity International has established community seedbanks to enable farmers to have easy access to diverse, good quality seeds. Seed banks play a vital role in ensuring seed security and improving farmers’ access to seeds, conserving agricultural biodiversity and the associated traditional knowledge, providing options for adapting to climate change.

CCAFS East Africa partnered with Bioversity to develop resilient seed systems in East Africa, and Uganda in particular. As a result, the revised Ugandan SeedPolicy (2019) recognizes these efforts and has provisions for strengthening community seedbanks, including the production and commercialization of quality seeds in the informal system.