Dear all,
It has been a good start for our Community of Practice on Seed security Assessment which kicked off last week, and we have been receiving very interesting g contribution from members. I would therefore like to rewind the discussion to our initial dicussion on Sudan and Ethiopia Review. We have the following key questions in reference to the summary documents I shared with you at the start;
a) Which key aspects captured by this report can help improve the way you work?
b) Which are the aspects that are missing?
c) Based on Report findings, can we generate any lesson learning?
Remember we are winding up the discussion on this topic by Friday this week. Next week we shall go for another round of discussion on a different topic. If you have any burning seed issue in your country or in the region that you feel need to be discussed please bring it to our attention and we shall let you know whether it fits well within our SSA CoP, as well as give you a time frame for sharing with other members.
Wishing you a good week.
Regards,
Joseph
From: Habtegabriel, Resom [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2014 11:56 AM
To: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa
Subject: RE: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region"- REVOLVING SEED TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE LOCAL SEED SYSTEM!!
Dear Joseph,
Indeed such collective efforts are the best way in addressing challenges facing crop production in the region. As stated, shortage of water is the most serious physical constraint on production in semi-arid areas. Considering cereal transplanting to efficiently utilize the short or the declining rains could be an area to explore in the cycle of thinking for a possible action.
It is recommended (as experimented in some countries) that raising some proportion of sorghum and millet crops in nurseries using small amounts of water and transplanting seedlings could be a way of extending the growing season in short duration rainfall areas, thus providing an extra dimension to food security. This practice would complement increasing desired yields from drought tolerance crops.
With warm regards,
Resom Habtegabriel
Emergency Response Manager
Plan – South Sudan Program
Mobile: +211 955174866
Skype: resom.habtegabriel
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From: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Okidi, Joseph (FAOKE)
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 9:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region"- REVOLVING SEED TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE LOCAL SEED SYSTEM!!
Dear Michael,
I agree with you that it is possible to have a revolving local seed system to support vulnerable and crisis affected population. I have seen such scheme with one of the Local NGO called Women and Training Association Promotion (WOTAP) in South Sudan. What they normally do is to have a local seed committee within the community to identify who to be supported, get involved in ensuring the right people get supported, monitor their production activities to ensure that they recover the seed (no money is involved) – it is part of the local system where seed production is an integral part of the production system). However, in the events of crop failure (not all will fail), those affected will be exempted from paying back the seed and the organization put in some little effort to raise funding to top up the input. Similar approach was used by World Vision in Western Equatoria, South Sudan in early 2000s.
We may want to modify this to enhance quality of recovered seed and to avoid genetic erosion over the years, especially where we provide basic or certified seed at start up “capital” for such scheme – Just to start thinking around how to improve such shame particularly in emergency and rehabilitation context. Few experienced famers could be identified from among the beneficiaries, given some basic training on how to ensure quality. This could work well when we are providing OPVs.
Such experience need to be documented and shared among us.
Regards,
Joseph
From: Micheal Yemane [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:36 PM
To: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa
Subject: RE: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region"- DROUGT Tolerant Varieties Needed!!!
Thanks Joseph for initiating this discussion forum.
Making the seed system sustainable is quite important without creating any dependency syndromes. It is possible to design revolving seed system, where the farmers will replace either the seed or equivalent money and that can be re-used to reach other farmers. Involving local community and local leadership is required to implement community based solution for the people at the grass root level.
It is good point you raised about early maturing improved varieties. That is great. But we need more holistic response; an integrated approach like water harvesting, conservation measures, pest management, organic fertilizers, harvesting and storage mechanisms has to be part of the equation to expect good yield from the seeds.
Regards!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Micheal Yemane
Advisor, Food Security and Livelihoods
International Medical Corps, From Relief to Self-Reliance
Cell Phone (in Eth): +251-913-283266
www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org<http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/>
Skype: micheal.yemane1
From: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of FSK ED
Sent: 22 May 2014 15:03
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region"- DROUGT Tolerant Varieties Needed!!!
Dear Joseph,
I join in agreeing on the need to utilize drought tolerant crops to mitigate the effects of climate change. We at Farming Systems Kenya are working closely with KARI Centers to promote the short season drought tolerant crops among the rural poor in Nakuru, Baringo and Laikipia and the response is quite good. I would concur with you that effort needs to be put in the multiplication and distribution of these varieties to arrest the situation.
Regards,
Michael K. Kendagor
Executive Director
Farming Systems Kenya
FSK Center, Olive - Inn Kiamunyi - Nakuru
P.O. Box 2816 - 20100 Nakuru
Office: +254 (0) 20 3573129
Office: +254 (0) 724 226424
Personal: +254 (0) 722816586
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
www.farmingsystemskenya.org<http://www.farmingsystemskenya.org>
From: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Okidi, Joseph (FAOKE)
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 2:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region"- DROUGT Tolerant Varieties Needed!!!
Dear Daniel,
I totally agree with you that the effect of climate change is pinching us seriously in the HoA. Having drought tolerant crops is one of the ways we could partly address this problem. There are quite a lot of research works going on in the region, and with the presence of NARS and CGIAR centers around us for all these year, we need their best bet drought tolerant varieties out to the famers. This however requires substantive efforts in multiplication and distribution/supply system, which many times is lacking in remote areas. We probably need to get our brothers in research on the same, as well as share the best bet model for multiplication and distribution which focuses at the most vulnerable/poor farming households in the region –
Who there has this bright idea of getting the needed drought tolerant varieties out to the famers?
Joseph Okidi
From: Daniel Gebeyehu [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:04 AM
To: The Community of Practice of Seed Security Assessments for the Horn of Africa
Subject: Re: "A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region".
I am pleased to see the COP has officially started and I am happy to be part of this community. I have also read the report for Ethiopia and took a good lesson from what we have to do in both short and medium term. I just want to make emphasis on the need to work on drought tolerant and short maturing seed varieties as a major solution to climate change related disasters. Selection of proper seed types is one of the choices of climate change adaptation technique.
Cheers!
On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 8:20 AM, Okidi, Joseph (FAOKE) <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Dear Colleague
We are pleased to announce the first e-discussion of the SSA Community of Practice (CoP) - Horn of Africa region:
“A meta analysis of past and current seed security assessments in the region”.
More than 30 seed security assessments (SSA) have been conducted since 2006 in emergency and rehabilitation contexts, and yet no evaluation of quality or impact have been undertaken to generate lesson learning. There is a general agreement about the need to conduct a thorough analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses and describe concrete impacts of the assessments.
The project has initiated the review of SSA for Ethiopia and South Sudan and compiled a Synthesis of Country reviews that you will find attached. The Synthesis specifically seeks to determine:
• The quality or impact of the SSA in emergency and rehabilitation contexts
• The strengths and weaknesses in the past SSA
• The ownership of the SSA process and results
• The concrete actions taken as a result of the SSA
==> As member of this Community of Practice, you are warmly invited to provide your comments and critiques on the draft Synthesis attached, for the country you work in. Specific questions you may want to answer are:
- Which key aspects captured by this report can help improve the way you work?
- Which are the aspects that are missing?
- Based on Report findings, can we generate any lesson learning?
This discussion will run from today, Thursday 22 May, till 31 May, 2014.
We highly value your inputs that will help us enhancing the quality of the information included in the Reviews. Final versions of the Country Reviews will be merged into a Meta Analysis Regional Report that will be a key instrument to inform the development of an improved approach to implementing assessments in order to more effectively improve seed security.
I wish you a fruitful discussion.
Joseph Okidi
Seed System Security Specialist and the CoP moderator
Instructions:
- To contribute: just press the “Reply” button on this message, compile your contribution, and send.
- This e-discussion is moderated: all contributions will first be reviewed by the CoP moderator (myself) and, once approved, will be forwarded to all members of the CoP. Please allow one day for the moderator to review your message.
- Your membership: we highly value your inputs and your presence in this forum. However, should you want to unsubscribe and receive no more messages from us, please send an email to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> asking to be unsubscribed.
See more about the Project objective and expected outputs at http://www.fao.org/in-action/food-security-capacity-building/home/en/.
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Kind Regards!
[cid:image005.jpg@01CF78D7.3A828DD0]
Daniel Gebeyehu Gebretsadik
Disaster Risk Reduction Program (DRRP) Director
FHE (FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY ETHIOPIA)
Office Tel. #+251- 011-416-82-89| Fax+251- 011-466-32-72
Mobile: +251-911-000007
P.O.Box 4181|Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kirkos sub City House Number 225, Kebele 04
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