Well-functioning community seed banks that are centred on agrobiodiversity contribute significantly to food security and improved livelihoods among smallholder farmers in the Global South. However, policies and laws largely neglect these initiatives and make it difficult to realize their potential. At this side event we will present preliminary results from the research project DIVERSIFARM, which has been designed to investigate and analyze agrobiodiversity-based pathways to food security and improved livelihoods among smallholder farmers in the Global South. The organizers of this side event are the partner institutions of DIVERSIFARM, which is supported by the Research Council of Norway. We will present case studies from Malawi, Nepal and Ethiopia, summarize factors of success for community seed banks, and identify key issues requiring attention in spheres of policy, law and development cooperation. The side event will also launch a new website on Farmers’ Rights.

Program

  • 18:15:     Welcome to the side event and introduction to the DIVERSIFARM project: Community seed banks, food security and Farmers’ Rights. 

    Dr. Regine Andersen, Research Director/Professor, Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway
     
  • 18:25:    Highlights from the case studies in Malawi

    Dr. Regine Andersen; Viviana Meixner Vásquez, FNI; and Prof. Rachel Wynberg, University of Cape Town. Presented by Prof. Rachel Wynberg and Viviana Meixner Vásquez.  
     
  • 18:35:     Highlights from the case studies in Nepal

    Dr. Devendra Gauchan, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Nepal; Pitambar Shrestha, Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Nepal and Dr. Regine Andersen. Presented by Dr. Devendra Gauchan. 
     
  • 18:45:    Highlights from the case studies in Ethiopia

    Prof. Fetien Abay, Mekelle University, Dr. Kebebew Assefa and PhD Cand. Tesfaye Geleta, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre; and Dr. Regine Andersen. Presented by Prof. Fetien Abay
     
  • 18:55:    Opportunities to improve food/nutrition security and livelihoods through community seed banks and Farmers’ Rights: Key lessons – and launching a new website on Farmers’ Rights

    Dr. Regine Andersen, Research Director/Professor, Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway
     
  • 19.05    Discussion
  • 19.25    Summing up and closing the side event at 19.30


Organizers 
Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway, in collaboration with partners from University of Cape Town in South Africa, Mekelle University in Ethiopia, The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Nepal, German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Norwegian University of Life Sciences.