Rwanda: time for action in changing times
Michael Keller, Secretary General, International Seed Federation
My work as Secretary General of the International Seed Federation takes me to many different places in the world, as our members are present in most of the countries. Everywhere, seed is the starting point of food production.
In times when poverty and food insecurity are increasing globally despite many advances in modern life, in times when supply chains are disrupted by the pressures of climate change, or more recently by natural calamities and wars, it’s more important now than ever to facilitate trade, empower farmers throughout the world, and enhance the participation of the private sector to build resilient solutions. Therefore many of us read with interest the joint statement by FAO, IMF, World bank, WFP, and WTO yesterday on the global food and nutrition security crisis, emphasizing the role of the private sector.
“I was fortunate to be able to spend several days in Rwanda this week with Fair Planet… For ISF, this means the start of a partnership for a Seed Resilience project that will allow us to make a difference on the ground in such a real, practical, and measurable way. This project will contribute to establishing local and more resilient food systems, with quality seeds as the foundation.”
In the last decades, international seed companies have improved many major crop varieties to be locally adapted and increase the productivity of farmers. These varieties, which are high yielding, resistant to multiple diseases, have improved shelf life and increased nutritional benefits, can offer opportunities for smallholder and large-scale farmers in Africa to increase their crop productivity and help supply the food and nutrition needs of the continent’s population: fresh vegetables for vitamins and fibers, pulses for proteins, and potatoes and cereals for carbohydrates. However, these improved varieties remain out of reach to most farmers in Africa, who are heavily confronted with food and nutrition insecurity.
Today it is imperative that the private seed sector contributes to change this situation and contribute to seed choice in order to build seed resilience.
I was fortunate to be able to spend several days in Rwanda this week. This trip was meaningful to me for several reasons: on an official level, it’s to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with Fair Planet for a Seed Resilience project in Rwanda, meet with representatives of the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), CGIAR, AGRA, Rica, Seed Association of Rwanda, and other agencies, and to visit potential trial fields.
It was so inspiring to listen to the Honorable Minister Dr Gérardine Mukeshimana of MINAGRI on the importance of collaboration on the seed system and extension services which aim to help smallholder farmers to be successful in their activities.
I am also very confident with the way of strengthening the collaboration between FAO and the private sector. During the meeting with Coumba Sow, FAO representative and country director in Rwanda, she noted the private sector’s commitment to engage and importance of partnerships during the FAO Global Conference on the Green Development of Seed Industries in 2021 and the Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production in 2022.
The National Seed Association of Rwanda is an important when partner when it comes to strengthening the seed sector and building choice for farmers. Therefore, the meeting was really insightful and we know that more work needs to be done.
All this was an exciting starting point to our Seed Resilience initiative, “Harnessing Quality Seed for Improving Food and Nutrition Security in Rwanda”, with partners for a sustainable seed system based on inclusiveness and to be built through a successful cross-sectoral approach. Rwanda is a good place to start for this kind of project: agriculture is the basis of its society and economy, it has diverse agro-climatic conditions and farming practices, and it has huge potential for improving farmer productivity and providing nutrition not only within its borders but also its neighboring countries. We hope that this can become a model for future projects aiming to increase food and nutrition security in other African countries.
For ISF, this means the start of a partnership that will allow us to make a difference on the ground in such a real, practical, and measurable way. This project will contribute to establishing local and more resilient food systems, with quality seeds as the foundation. The approach is simple and solution-based: combine access to quality seeds of locally relevant crops with training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to increase farmer productivity and income. At the end of the 5-year project, we hope it will have led to the development of these crop pillars: vegetables, pulses, potatoes, and cereals.
We are happy to have found a great partner in Fair Planet, which has successfully worked with multiple seed partners in Ethiopia and Tanzania for the benefit of smallholder farmers. They have spent over 8 years conducting professional and independent variety trials in Africa to identify the most suitable vegetable varieties for local farming practices and market needs, and they have been training thousands of smallholder farmers how to improve their farming practices and their livelihood.
On a personal level, it gives me a lot of pride and inspiration. Two years ago, during the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, ISF launched four key initiatives to advance seed resilience aligned with the SDGs. One of them is to build a project on the ground to promote inclusive seed systems. It is so gratifying to see that, step by step, little by little, it is becoming a reality.
It was fulfilling to me to see during the discussions that we all have the same vision: it is about empowering farmers in a more and more challenging environment. During the discussions, seed was seen as a critical input, and enhanced seed choice for farmers in a diverse range of crops could be an essential driver for adapting to climate change and increasing harvest, especially as many parts of Rwanda are now affected by drought.
Finally, I want to call on the diversity of our member-companies and our network of associations and partners in government, research, and others to get involved in this meaningful initiative on the ground in Rwanda.
You can become a partner by contributing your varieties for local demos and supporting the project’s budget; or you can be a sponsor by making a financial contribution. Of course, if you have ideas on how you want to take part, we are very open to hearing it! It’s our contribution for building an inclusive approach for seed resilience in Rwanda. During the next weeks and months, we will keep you informed about the project and its progress.
Let’s help smallholder farmers transform their daily work into a sustainable source of income. Let’s engage. Let’s lead change together.
