Publication Date
1993
Description
Smallfarmers in Latin America are scattered among different agroecosystems, such as: Andean highlands; Central American and Andean hillsides; Amazonian basin forest margins; and non-Andean crop margins. Forages, mainly grasses, are used to different degrees in mainly mixed and diversified crop-livestock farming syslems. The range of species, both temperate and tropical, is wide and increasing. Seed supply is variable, but limited by the range and availabilily of materials, variable quality of tropical grasses and high prices. Seed systems tend to be informal and incipient, especially with tropical species. This paper describes five seed projects and seed enterprises and draws generalisations from their case histories. Three contrasting categories of seed - for research purposes, basic, and commercial - are identified as having a sequential role in seed supply to serve research and development needs. We can define four sequential participant groups of evolving seed systems: research, pre-development projects, small seed enterprises and community-based organisations. The forces at work upon the evolution of seed supply for smallfarmers are summarised. They include: ( a) as negatives - the hierarchy of systems; production and marketing risks; client profile; multiplicity of materials; deficiencies as seed products; deficiencies of public-sector participation; others; (b) as positives - favourable macroeconomic environment; demand pull for individually identified (seed) products; research and donor support; small, diversified seed enterprises; participation by community-based organisations; new materials; others. Future opportunities to improve seed systems and seed supply are diverse. They include: the need for a higher priority-policy status for smallfarmer seed issues; a relevant research-technology base; the organisation of pre-development projects; an increased number of viable, diversified, small seed enterprises; the involvement of community-based organisations to complement these enterprises; the strategic use of miscellaneous bridging mechanisms.
Citation
Ferguson, J E. and Sauma, G, "Towards more Forage Seeds for Small Farmers in Latin America" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 2.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session47/2
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Towards more Forage Seeds for Small Farmers in Latin America
Smallfarmers in Latin America are scattered among different agroecosystems, such as: Andean highlands; Central American and Andean hillsides; Amazonian basin forest margins; and non-Andean crop margins. Forages, mainly grasses, are used to different degrees in mainly mixed and diversified crop-livestock farming syslems. The range of species, both temperate and tropical, is wide and increasing. Seed supply is variable, but limited by the range and availabilily of materials, variable quality of tropical grasses and high prices. Seed systems tend to be informal and incipient, especially with tropical species. This paper describes five seed projects and seed enterprises and draws generalisations from their case histories. Three contrasting categories of seed - for research purposes, basic, and commercial - are identified as having a sequential role in seed supply to serve research and development needs. We can define four sequential participant groups of evolving seed systems: research, pre-development projects, small seed enterprises and community-based organisations. The forces at work upon the evolution of seed supply for smallfarmers are summarised. They include: ( a) as negatives - the hierarchy of systems; production and marketing risks; client profile; multiplicity of materials; deficiencies as seed products; deficiencies of public-sector participation; others; (b) as positives - favourable macroeconomic environment; demand pull for individually identified (seed) products; research and donor support; small, diversified seed enterprises; participation by community-based organisations; new materials; others. Future opportunities to improve seed systems and seed supply are diverse. They include: the need for a higher priority-policy status for smallfarmer seed issues; a relevant research-technology base; the organisation of pre-development projects; an increased number of viable, diversified, small seed enterprises; the involvement of community-based organisations to complement these enterprises; the strategic use of miscellaneous bridging mechanisms.
