Institutionalising QDS

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa access 90% of their seed needs from informal seed systems. Open-pollinated crops are traditionally grown using seed from these informal systems. This seed is generally saved from preceding harvest or routinely purchased in local markets. This ‘seed’ grain may or may not have undergone some level of selection, sorting, and cleaning for a small premium on top of the grain price [5]. It is referred to as ‘home-saved’ seed.

Enhancing resilience of farmer seed system to climate-induced stresses: Insights from a case study in West Nile region, Uganda

Agriculture is the backbone of most African economies and livelihood of many people. However, agriculture is often charac- terized by high variability of production outcomes and production risks. Unlike most other entrepreneurs, agricultural producers cannot predict with certainty the amount of output their produc- tion process will yield, due to external factors such as weather, pests, and diseases (van de Steeg et al., 2009). The effects of climate change and variability add to the challenges facing agricultural producers in Africa ...