Alternative strategies for smallholder seed supply: proceedings of an International Conference on Options for Strengthening National and Regional Seed Systems in Africa and West Asia, 10-14 Mar 1997 Harare, Zimbabwe

Non-availability of seed is the single biggest constraint to smallholder agriculture in large parts of the developing world. This publication reports on a 5-day conference that sought to define seed-supply problems in Africa and West Asia; discuss the current and potential roles of the private and public sectors, NGOs, international research institutes, cooperatives, and farmers' groups; and analyze the working of various seed supply channels, including farmer-to-farmer exchange. The conference was organized by ICRISAT, ICARDA, IITA, and GTZ, and attended by over 70 participants from 18 countries (Algeria, Cdte d'lvoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, ,Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), 4 CGIAR Centers, and a number of donors, NGOs, regional and international agencies, and advanced research institutes. The major objective was to develop strategies to strengthen both formal and informal seed distribution channels, particularly for food-security crops where private sector interest is limited. Almost half the conference was devoted to identifying and prioritizing policy and institutional constraints, and on the basis of these discussions, developing action plans to improve seed availability in each of three regions—Southern and Eastern Africa, Western and Central Africa, and West Asia and North Africa. These proceedings contain the papers presented at the conference, and the recommendations and action plans developed through the discussion