The challenges of ensuring access of farmers to quality seed of appropriate and adapted varieties, whether through the formal seed system or the farmer-based informal seed system, has been a recurrent issue in the quality enhancement and quality assurance review stages of IFAD investment projects. The complexity and requirements of the seed sector are often underestimated in the design and during implementation of projects. It is important to treat seed not only as an agricultural input but also as a carrier of genetic material and source of diversity. This How To Do Note (HTDN) on Supporting Smallholder Seed Systems tackles the complexities of seed systems, setting out a process to support national agricultural policy decision-makers, national and international development agencies and IFAD Country Programme Managers (CPMs) in the design and supervision of seed-related projects.
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