ICARDA

Seed security

Seed security has become a major issue in recent years for a number of reasons, including the importance of seed supplies to recovering agricultural production after an emergency or disaster; the significant losses of genetic diversity in disaster-affected areas; and the growing recognition of local seed-supply systems as important sources of seed complementary to the formal seed-supply systems. The resulting concept of ‘integrated seed-supply’ is gaining ground and was part of the rationale for another important area of US-ICARDA collaboration, through a project on Strengthening seed availability for disaster-stricken areas. This involved ICARDA, USDA/ Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the US Office of International Cooperation and Development.
As a result of this project, a document was prepared giving the following information for each country in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region: assessments of the current status of seed availability; a catalog of commercial varieties, seed producers, and distributors; a summary of plant quarantine measures, variety and seed regulations, and seed import and trade regulations; and a report on private-voluntary and non-governmental organizations involved in seed and agriculture activities and in relief/disaster activities.
The project also raised a number of important issues and recommendations, such as the possibility of regional cooperation in the maintenance of a permanent inventory of national seed stocks. ICARDA is using the project findings to support the strengthening of seed security in its mandate areas, especially under the auspices of the WANA Seed Network, which has its Secretariat at ICARDA headquarters.