3.2 Guiding Principles

Seed System Support in Stress Situations

Introduction
Current emergency seed provisioning projects in Afghanistan are based on a limited understanding of existing seed systems and how different types of stress affect them. The political events that started with September 11 created the impression that somehow Afghanistan has been plunged into a new 'emergency', when in fact the present situation is merely a new chapter of an old story. Seed programs that were originally established as part of the rehabilitation effort following the Soviet war might need to be redesigned to suit the present context, particularly if long-term sustainability is to be achieved. There needs to be greater flexibility in the responses to address different types of stress. The following guidelines are not intended to present blueprint responses to different situations, but to ensure that there is a greater understanding of the problems to be addressed so that appropriate solutions can be developed.

Guiding principles
1. A concerted effort is needed to develop a detailed understanding of existing seed systems, especially farmer seed systems. Both the resilience and vulnerabilities of farmer seed systems should be examined in different stress situations. It is also important that the nature of seed demand by farmers be better analyzed.

2. It is important that those involved in planning interventions understand the fundamental difference between 'seed' (as a physical input) and 'variety' (germplasm).

3. There is a need to understand the different types of stress, their frequency, scale and extent, and the ways in which they impact on livelihood/agricultural/seed systems. It is important to recognize that seed interventions may not be the most appropriate response to certain types of disaster, and that other types of assistance might be more urgently required.

4. Where seed insecurity exists, it is important to determine whether this is acute or chronic. Acute seed insecurity is brought on by distinct short duration events, such as flood, earthquake, and pest outbreaks, often affecting whole populations over a defined area. Chronic seed insecurity is the result of long-term structural problems that affect specific groups of farmers. It is independent from a disaster event, though might be exacerbated by it. Addressing acute seed insecurity requires emergency (relief) response. Longer-term developmental response is needed in addressing chronic seed insecurity. Chronic seed insecurity cannot be addressed through short-term emergency seed provisioning.

5. A seed security framework offers a useful analytical tool to assist in determining whether seed availability or access is the problem in situations of acute seed insecurity. In general, local seed availability is rarely a problem, but poorer farmers might lack the means to access seed. In Afghanistan, acute seed insecurity might arise from flood, earthquake, pest outbreaks (e.g., locust, sun pest), or following wide-scale population displacement. The table below indicates whether seed availability or access is likely to be a problem in these different situations.

Socially/economically marginal farmers
- Indebtedness due to changing policy and appreciation of local currency
- Farmers/returnees with no cattle
- Farmers with small farms, who might lack access to land
- Poverty related to depletion of assets due to drought
- Shortage of male labor in widowed households
- Lack of access to irrigation
All of the above factors contribute to low productivity

Ecological marginal areas/cropping and farming systems
- Poor varieties
- Low soil fertility
- Low productivity due to poor agronomic practices
- Rainfed areas in drought-prone regions
- Areas with poor water management

Politically marginal farmers
- Lack of regulation in some irrigated areas and springs
- Poorer people might lack access to irrigation (this has increased with present power dynamics)

Appropriate seed system support should address the contributing factors.
a) Welfare programs to address poverty, thus making it easier to save seed and/or access locally available seed through local seed channels. Seed interventions cannot address poverty in the short term. The use of subsidies to contract seed growers to reduce the cost of seed for farmers will hinder the development of commercially viable seed enterprises. If there is a need for welfare, this should be provided in a targeted manner, such as in the form of seed vouchers for needy farmers. This will ensure that farmers can access seed directly from contract growers rather than through NGO intermediaries. There is a need to foster direct links between farmers and seed suppliers so that farmers can articulate their needs directly to suppliers who can respond accordingly. This is fundamental to the development of a sustainable commercial seed system.
b) Agricultural research and development for ecologically marginal areas and farming systems. Agencies working with contract seed growers need to clearly articulate the changing role that is required to ensure that the withdrawal of NGO support will not result in the collapse of the contract seed growers themselves.
Agencies need to recognize that farmers are experienced in seed management and value own-saved seed over seed from unknown sources. It is estimated that 80-90% of wheat seed is farm-saved seed.

Agricultural research and development should continue to build upon past experience and draw upon widely available resources, both internally and externally. Agricultural research is a public good, and requires long-term strategic investment.

There is an urgent need to address varietal choice among existing crops, and to consider the testing and promotion of new crops for both food production and for sale. Different breeding systems and other agronomic features will require different approaches to crop development, multiplication, and marketing.

The overall philosophy of agricultural development needs to shift from supply side to a demand-driven approach if long-term agricultural growth is to be sustained. Suggested actions include:

· For a commercial seed system to emerge from existing programs Contract growers need training in marketing and business skills to be able to stand on their feet.
· Contract growers need to be linked directly to a reliable source of foundation seed of modern varieties.
· Agricultural researchers need to involve farmers much more directly in the development and testing of modern varieties.
· NGOs can play an important role in ensuring that farmers have information on modern varieties, and this will serve as an important marketing function in stimulating demand (e.g., on-farm demonstrations, field days, radio programs, etc.).
· NGOs can assist research by facilitating the feedback of information from farmers to research so that modern varieties are developed that meet farmers' preferences.
· Crops that are already being grown with demonstrated commercial potential that can be further exploited include potatoes, onions, cumin, sesame, sugar beet, cotton, fruits, nuts, grapes, and forage crops.
The introduction of a commodity chain approach involving not just producers but also traders and end-users is urgently required, and would benefit from NGO assistance in enterprise development
c) Equitable access to water for irrigation (The delivery of relief supplies can further marginalize politically marginal groups.)

7. Institutional linkages should be promoted in the longer term among the following stakeholders:
· Farmers (poor and wealthy)
· Contract farmers
· NGOs
· Producer cooperatives
· Traders (for national and international markets)
· Seed Companies
· National Agricultural Research Sector, i.e., research institutes; universities; agricultural colleges
· International Agricultural Research Centers
· Agricultural development agencies, i.e., FAO
· Relevant government ministries

8. Monitoring, assessment and analysis should be built in to both short-term relief and longer-term developmental intervention. Three areas are highlighted:

                                                Market development
Learning from existing examples
- Seed growers in Herat: where is demand coming from?
- Potential produce markets
- Private vegetable growers with private nurseries
Growing for external markets in Pakistan, e.g., cauliflower
- What are the factors that influence farmer demand for seed?
- Seed traders - location and factors of success
- Can Afghanistan's cool dry environment be exploited for high-value seed production (e.g., flowers and vegetables)

                                 Seeds systems, cropping and input delivery
- How do farmers acquire varieties through farmer seed systems?
- Have farmers obtained seed from neighboring countries, and how have these varieties been disseminated in the community?

                                           Disasters and relief responses
The need for impact assessment rather than just monitoring and evaluation is required to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated