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Produk-inligting
Maart 2016
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FOCUS
Seed
Special
Case studies in South Africa
The Directorate Genetic Resources of DAFF, Bioversity International
and the Departments of Agriculture in Limpopo and Eastern Cape
worked together to set up pilot community seed banks in Mutale
Local Municipality (Limpopo) and Joe Gqabi District Municipality
(Eastern Cape) respectively to guide the national roll-out.
The efforts were based on research about the extent to which farm-
ers are still engaged in growing landraces, the main factors influenc-
ing their choices of crops and crop varieties, the rate and scope of
loss of diversity, the impact of climate change on agriculture and
seed systems, the strengths and weaknesses of traditional seed-
saving and exchange practises, and the prospects of setting up a
locally managed and governed community seed bank.
Research was complemented by the organisation of food fairs where
farmers prepared dishes using traditional crops, as a way to assess
the crop diversity levels in both community sites and to celebrate
traditional crop diversity and culinary practices of farmer communi-
ties. Traditional food recipes were collected during the food fairs and
published in a trilingual booklet in 2015.
This action research process has laid the groundwork for linking
formal research organisations/institutions, the government as poli-
cymaking agency and farmers as end users to review current crop
improvement research practices.
The active participation of the formal seed sector research commu-
nity is essential to contribute to designing and testing novel crop
improvement practises and measures that add value to farmers’ own
efforts to conserve and sustainably use agrobiodiversity. Through
such collaboration community seed banks the genetic base of key
crops can be broadened to withstand environmental disasters that
affect local production and conservation efforts.
Conclusion
Functional community seed banks could serve as co-ordinating or
nodal agencies bringing together farmers, plant breeders, gene bank
The community seed bank register at Gumbu Village.
The Sterkspruit community seed bank committee.
Sterkspruit’s first collection.
Photo: Ronnie Vernooy
Sterkspruit inauguration of the seed bank.
Photo: Ronnie Vernooy
Storing community seed bank accession at Sterkspruit.
Community seed banks