Smallholder seed practices Maize seed management in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

This research aims to contribute to an in­creased understanding of what is commonly referred to as 'local seed systems', 'farmer seed systems' or 'informal seed systems', both in relation to seed supply for agricultural production and in relation to the conservation of important crop genetic diversity. Within a general understanding of seed as an essential input for agricultural production, as well as a fundamental source of germplasm for crop improvement, this study offers a detailed analysis of smallholder maize seed practices among traditional farmers in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, a centre of maize genetic diversity. Using an actor-oriented approach as the point of departure, a series of aspects related to local maize seed management and transactions are examined and discussed, including Farmers' seed practices as a form of local knowledge; The role of collective action in relation to crop genetic diversity conserva­tion and seed supply at the local level; The social organization of seed supply; and Farmers' transaction costs in relation to seed acquisition.