Crops in Context negotiating traditional and formal institutions in

local seed systems of maize and sorghum Ola  T.  Westengen  

Noragric,  Norwegian  University  of  Life  Sciences  IDS  February  2016  

 

Nyethin: the sorghum of the Pari

Westengen  et  al.  2014.  PNAS  111:14100-­‐14105  

Lafon  

Improved maize going local in Morogoro

Westengen  et  al.  2014.  BMC  Evolu=onary  Biology,  14:1    

Seed System contestations

Dominant:  Modernisa=on  «Provide  the  higher  yielding  seeds  farmers  need»    -­‐  Alliance  for  a  Green  RevoluJon  for  Africa  

Resistance  movement:  Localism      «Seeds  are  at  the  heart  of  food  sovereignty.  Our  challenge  is  now  to  con9nue  keeping  our  living  seeds  in  the  hands  of  our  communi9es,  by  mul9plying  seeds  on  our  farms  and  territories.»              -­‐  La  Via  Campesina  

Insert screen grab from pdf from google search: seed systems de vries agra •  Screen  grab  of  development  stages  

Binary misconceptions?

• PVP  and  PBR  are  necessary  for  innovaJon  to  happen;  

•  Trust  in  seed  transacJons  relies  on  cerJficaJon;    

•  Strict  PVP  and  a  new  Seed  laws  will  enable  the  private  sector  to  move  in  and  supply  seeds  to  a  ready  demand  from  farmers.  

 

•  Seed  laws  and  PVPs  are  basically  the  same  and  their  purpose  is  to  protect  the  ownership  of  geneJc  resources  for  the  private  seed  industry;  

• PVP  and  compliant  seed  laws  denies  seed  saving,  exchange  and  sale  of  all  varieJes;    

•  The  seed  struggle  is  basically  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  world.    

 

Bricolage and alternative pathways “The  ‘bricoleur’  is  adept  at  performing  a  large  number  of  diverse  tasks;  but,  unlike  the  engineer,  he  does  not  subordinate  each  of  them  to  the  availability  of  raw  materials  and  tools  conceived  and  procured  for  the  purpose  of  the  project.”  Levi-­‐Strauss  1961.      Crop  development:  parJcipatory  breeding,  ‘open  source’  seeds,  public  breeding  Regula=on:  Quality  Declared  Sees,  integrated  seed  system  approaches  (pluralism  not  streamlining)  Distribu=on:  Crowdsourcing,  integrated  seed  system,  community  seed  banks,  local  seed  market  enhancement