Supply
The implementation at the supply side works on the biophysical (soil, water, biodiversity) and on socio-economic factors.
Implementation Strategy
The focus of the activities of the supply implementation strategy are guided by insights from the demand approach to provide project support to neglected and unterutilized species (NUS) seed and food production, which are demand driven and result in livelihood improvements related to improved food security, increased incomes, and environmental benefits. The implementation at the supply side works on the biophysical factors (soil, water, biodiversity) as well as socio-economic factors (access to knowledge and innovation, social organization). The project concentrates on three key elements: genetic diversity; agronomy and agroecological production; peasants’ organization and seed systems. The three key elements will run in parallel, support each other, and tackle the food and seed system.
CROPS4HD will promote a mix of extension methodologies, where the horizontal knowledge exchange among farmers, the joint learning in farmer field schools and on demonstration plots will steadily be combined with a more formal Participatory On-Farm Research (POR) methodology and capacity building and empowerment via train-the-trainer.
After identification of the best-suited cultivars based on on-farm Participatory Cultivar Testing (PCT) and nutritional analysis, CROPS4HD will multiply these cultivars. Guidance on high quality seed multiplication starting from sowing, harvesting, drying, cleaning, storing and packaging will be provided to peasants as well as training in the assessment of seed quality. This will allow developing seed quality standards that peasants can conduct. Governance and business models for spreading this high quality seed of NUS cultivars CROPS4HD will be developed under demand activities.
Based on high quality seed of adapted cultivars and optimized farming practice developed under POR testing most locally relevant agroecological approaches, the peasants can produce NUS for their own household and for local markets. If NUS can be produced on larger scale, business development will start combined with awareness creation on the benefits of NUS, market development approaches and policy recommendations for healthier diets.
Key Outcomes
- 12 crops (NUS crops, non‐NUS crops and NUS varieties) are newly cultivated at farm level.
- Volume of NUS leaving farm gate is increased by 10%.
- Incomes of 8’000 peasants are increased.
- Food security of 8’000 peasants is improved.
- Climate resilience of 6’000 peasants is improved.
- 10 crops (NUS crops, non‐NUS crops and NUS varieties) are newly cultivated at farm level.
- Volume of NUS leaving farm gate is increased by 10%.
- Incomes of 1’900 peasants are increased.
- Food security of 3’000 peasants is improved.
- Climate resilience of 3’000 peasants is improved.
- 10 crops (NUS crops, non‐NUS crops and NUS varieties) are newly cultivated at farm level.
- Volume of NUS leaving farm gate is increased by 30%.
- Incomes of 3’600 peasants are increased.
- Food security of 4’000 peasants is improved.
- Climate resilience of 4’000 peasants is improved.
- 20 crops (NUS crops, non‐NUS crops and NUS varieties) are newly cultivated at farm level.
- Volume of NUS leaving farm gate is increased by 10%.
- Incomes of 3’000 peasants are increased.
- Food security of 5’000 peasants is improved.
- Climate resilience of 5’000 peasants is improved.
Recent News
First seed fair in Chad: A way to bring the Peasant Seed System forward
It is in Pala that the CROPS4HD team in Chad demonstrated our project as an initiative to show case the importance of peasant seeds in food security and biodiversity preservation. This was done through a two-day fair, on the 20 and 21 December 2022, with the theme “Seed systems, biodiversity and resilience of rural households…
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Links between gender and varietal selection: the case study in Orissa
In September 2022, Bhittibhumi carried out a participatory Variety Selection (PVS) exercise in Orissa with the support and guidance of FiBL. The exercise involved farmers as key stakeholders to seek and determine the most preferred lines of green gram and sesame for further advancement. Discussions with the farmers (both genders) showed differences and some similarities…
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Visit in Colombia : knowledge exchange
Community seed banks are a central pillar of the project CROPS4HD to increase accessibility of neglected and underutilised crops as well as farmers’ varieties. In Latin America, SWISSAID has been working with community seed banks for 15 years. Therefore, the project decided to capitalise this experience in a South-South exchange
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