WEBINAR: Seed-Related Assistance in Fragile Contexts: Lessons for COVID-19 Response

5 May 2020. Farmer-centered conversation in which key guidance and lessons for seed system interventions in the COVID-19 response will be shared.

• The likely impacts of the pandemic on farmers’ access to seeds;
• The critical questions humanitarian workers must ask before intervening in seed systems
• Essential good practices for seed-related responses, including considerations for seed distributions and linking to cash and voucher assistance; and
• The distinct (often novel) hurdles posed in seed assistance and COVID-19 response

Presenters:

• Louise Sperling (see picture) is coordinator of SeedSystem.org. She has managed and technically backstopped agricultural programs in 30+ countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. SeedSystem is a collaboration among diverse national and international organizations aiming to improve seed security in vulnerable and high-stress areas of the world.
• Shawn McGuire (see picture), Agricultural Officer (Seed Security), FAO
  "As much as possible use market based approaches"
• Dieudonne Baributsa (see picture), Associate Professor of Entomology, Purdue University. Dieudonne Baributsa has more than 20 years of experience in international development. Dr. Baributsa currently leads efforts to reduce postharvest storage losses on grains and seed in more than 35 countries in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• Julie March, Acting Division Director for the Preparation, Strategic Planning and Mitigation (PSPM) Division for the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Team Lead for Food Security and Livelihoods

Click here to access the event Q&A document. (11 pages).

As a resource for those in the seed sector community to use, the SCALE team has put together the below document with questions from the webinar, which the panelists have answered. Relevant resources are also included in a table.

Question by Daniel Gonzalez Levassor, Rural Development and Food Security in Mozambique - EU Delegation. "Could you give a hint of public policies that could support seed systems uner COVID context, specificially market led beyond direct distribution?Direct seed distribution risks to impact negatively the few private sector distribuors that exist, already affected by poor businesses under COVID. This need to be monitored too." 

Related: 

17/04/2020. ASIA-PACIFIC SEED TRADE REELING FROM COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

Related:
This animated clip focuses on Seed Security: its basic features, tools to assess it, and guides to target responses.

This animated clip focuses on Funding Seed for Development