Food security
Local markets, local varieties: rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed
Rising food prices and farmer seed access: what are the impacts?
Authors:
M. Smale; M. Cohen; L. Nagarajan
Publisher:
International Food Policy Research Institute , 2009
This report provides case-specific responses to key seed policy issues based on the relationship between seed markets and high food prices, which were discussed at the project findings meeting at FAO in May 2008. The paper answers key questions in the country context for India, Kenya, and Mali including whether high food prices will mean higher seed prices and seed insecurity for poor farmers. The brief further analyses issues related to the existing seed supply for these crops and policies to promote the increased use of quality seed by improving farmer access in weekly village markets.
The authors highlight a number of issues related to how availability and distribution of seed and grain and storage practices could be improved among poor farmers and open-air vendors. These include:
- providing selected farmers and agro-dealers with improved materials from research centers to sow and multiply
- supplying small packets of seeds through formal actors in the supply chain during planting season
- enforcing strict quality control and grading of materials supplied through grain traders and agro-dealers
- monitoring prices “fixed” by grain traders in the markets
- utilising existing village-level social networks and other intervention mechanisms to provide timely market for seed
- providing information on crops and availability and increasing market infrastructure facilities for open-air vendors to improve market access and participation.
