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Sowing Seeds of Resilience: New Policy Brief offers key insights on Community Seedbanks
Seeds carry the promise of sustenance and renewal. When crisis hits, access to seeds can mean the difference between scarcity and food security for farming communities. This is especially true in protracted crisis regions like the Horn of Africa, plagued by conflict, displacement, and climate shocks. But when fields are damaged, harvests disrupted, and supply chains broken, how can communities regain access to diverse, locally adapted seeds?
This new policy brief from WCDI and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in collaboration with the University of Juba, Sanaag University, Al Fasher University and other local partners, offers timely, practical insights into an emerging solution: community seedbanks. Titled "Community Seedbanks in Protracted Crisis Situations: Potential and Challenges," this brief draws on recent pilot initiatives to establish community seedbanks in Somaliland, South Sudan, and Sudan, under the Nuffic and FNS-REPRO programmes. It details the unique considerations and promising potential of community seedbanks to enhance seed and food security amidst scarcity, while fostering social cohesion.
What are Community Seedbanks and How Do They Create Resilience
Community seedbanks are locally organised groups focused on conserving and sustainably using diverse crops and varieties, especially farmer-improved varieties adapted to local conditions. They serve several key functions:
- Decentralised seed reserves to meet community needs in times of seed scarcity
- Refuges protecting local genetic diversity and traditional knowledge from loss during displacements
- Platforms for collective action and social cohesion through participatory management
By strengthening access, availability, and diversity of well-adapted seeds, community seedbanks can enhance food and seed security even during protracted crises. The brief documents inspiring examples of community seedbanks established during conflicts and disasters in Ethiopia, Nepal, Nicaragua, and beyond.
Key Insights for Seedbanks in Insecure Environments
While full of potential, establishing community seedbanks in the midst of crisis poses unique sensitivities. This policy brief offers hard-won insights into key considerations:
- Site selection should weigh options based on security risks and social tensions
- Membership can provide a sense of common purpose across groups
- Infrastructure must balance protection and accessibility
- Management should integrate disaster contingency planning over time
- Collaborative policies and networks build sustainability and impact
The experiences in Somaliland, South Sudan, and Sudan highlight the importance of careful contextual planning, while demonstrating the power of community seedbanks to strengthen food security and social bonds amidst scarcity.
Read the Full Brief for Practical Guidance
This post only summarises key points. The full open-access policy brief offers more details and recommendations for development professionals, agronomists, policymakers, and anyone interested in community-led solutions for resilience. Learn more about the potential of community seedbanks and how to navigate unique sensitivities in crisis contexts. The brief also shares contact information of the authors if you have questions or insights to share.
Collaboration is needed to cultivate more just, resilient food systems from the ground up! What creative solutions have you seen foster community resilience amidst hardship? How can we plant the seeds today for abundance tomorrow?