Perspectives on sustainability of smallholder seed enterprises: a case of Africa indigenous vegetables in Tanzania

Between 2013 and 2016, CABI’s Good Seed Initiative (GSI) worked with partners in Tanzania to strengthen the seed system for Africa Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) through promotion of farmer seed enterprises using two models – contract farming (Arusha) and Quality Declared Seed (QDS) (Dodoma). This study, conducted in 2019, aimed to assess the sustainability of farmer seed enterprises and project strategies that were important in satisfying the continued functioning of farmer seed production, 3 years after GSI project closure. Results show that farmer seed enterprises under both models continued to thrive, creating avenues for income diversification and contributing substantially to household incomes (>50%). Development efforts supporting farmer seed enterprises should consider facilitating women to equally participate and take advantage of the benefits of contract farming to the same extent as their male counterparts. Furthermore, government-mandated agencies should support the functioning of the QDS system to facilitate the continued supply of quality seed in areas less served by the formal seed sector, and for crops not well integrated into the formal system.