Document types: Discussion Papers
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Incubating Leadership through Farmer’s Field School
Aakash Koirala, Niranjan Pudasaini and Sahadev KC from LI-BIRD The Sowing Diversity=Harvesting Security project envisions empowering women and young people as a crucial aspect of effectively managing and using plant genetic resources for food and nutrition security. The project builds farmers’ capacity for participatory agrobiodiversity management and plant breeding through the Farmer’s Field School (FFS) […]
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Living Links Connecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Small-Scale Farmers and Agricultural Biodiversity
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 adopted by the global community in September 2015 are applicable to all countries with the commitment “that no one is left behind.” As an agenda for “people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership”, Agenda 2030 provides a vision for people and planet-centered, human rights-based, and gender-sensitive sustainable […]
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The case of Champion Farmer Seeds cooperative. Documenting lessons learned establishing a Farmer Seed Enterprise
This discussion paper presents the lessons learned in establishing a Farmer Seed Enterprise, the Champion Farmer Seeds Cooperative in Zimbabwe. The involved practitioners reflect on the assumptions made at the start of the program, and how the experience can guide further development of different models of Farmer Seed Enterprises. This paper is based on both […]
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Neglected and underutilized species for improved diets
This study highlights that neglected and underutilized species (NUS) play an important role in diversifying the diets of indigenous peoples and smallholder farmers, in particular as part of their coping strategies during the hunger season. However, many of the wild plants and minor crops cited by participants in the study have not yet been covered […]
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Status of Patenting Plants in the Global South. Position Paper and Research Report
Over the last few decades, the number of patents on plants and plant parts has greatly increased in various parts of the world. This has triggered social debate about possible negative consequences for the breeding sector, farmers and society. Despite the urgency of these questions, most research and literature has focused exclusively on developed countries […]
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Reconceiving Public-Private partnerships to eradicate hunger: Recognizing small-scale farmers and agricultural biological diversity as the foundation of global food security
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have a long history in development rhetoric yet in general have not fulfilled the promises they have made in the form of increased economic gains (except for industry actors themselves), efficiency, and improved provision of traditionally “public goods.” Noting that food, biological diversity, and small-scale farmers are intersectional areas critical to ending […]
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Evidences on the use of Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) to cope with food scarcity and climate change in the Peruvian Andes
This Briefing Note by Asociación ANDES and Oxfam Novib shows in detail the evidence for the use of Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) as a coping strategy in times of food scarcity because of climate change in the Peruvian Andes. The publication elaborates on challenges of climate change in the Andes, it shows the findings […]
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Our seeds: Lessons from the drought. A joint agency briefing note
This joint agency briefing note from CTDT and Oxfam describes how farmer seed systems can provide seed security. Zimbabwean smallholder farmers consider seed security to be an issue of national security. For them, access to the right seeds, at the right time, and for the right price, is critical to be able to produce enough food to eat […]
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Reconciling farmers’ and plant breeders’ rights: Oxfam position paper
This Oxfam position paper contains Oxfam’s statement towards the protection of farmers’ and plant breeders’ rights. Farmers’ Rights to save, reuse, exchange and sell farm-saved seed/propagating material, to maintain and create agro-biodiversity, and to manage plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), need to be protected and promoted. This applies particularly to smallholder farmers who have […]