Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Farmer Seed Exchange and Crop Diversity in a Changing Agricultural Landscape in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

  • Published:
Human Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Notes

  1. See Samberg et al. (2010) for more detailed information on crop diversity in this system.

References

  • Abay, F., and Bjornstad, A. (2009). Specific Adaptation of Barley Varieties in Different Locations in Ethiopia. Euphytica 167(2): 181–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alemu, D., and Spielman, D. (2006). Ethiopian Seed Systems: Regulations, Institutions, and Stakeholders, ESSP Policy Conference Brief No. 11.

  • Almekinders, C., Louwaars, N. P., et al. (1994). Local Seed Systems and Their Importance for an Improved Seed Supply in Developing Countries. Euphytica 78: 207–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altieri, M. A. (1999). The Ecological Role of Biodiversity in Agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 74(1–3): 19–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aw-Hassan, A., Mazid, A., et al. (2008). The Role of Informal Farmer-to-Farmer Seed Distribution in Diffusion of New Barley Varieties in Syria. Experimental Agriculture 44: 413–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badstue, L. B., Bellon, M. R., et al. (2007). The Dynamics of Farmers’ Maize Seed Supply Practices in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. World Development 35(9): 1579–1593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belay, K., and Degnet, A. (2004). Challenges Facing Agricultural Extension Agents: A Case Study from South-Western Ethiopia. African Development Bank.

  • Bellon, M. R. (1996). Dynamics of Crop Infraspecific Diversity: A Conceptual Framework at the Farmer Level. Economic Botany 50(1): 26–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishaw, Z., Sahlu, Y., et al. (2008). The Status of the Ethiopian Seed Industry. Farmers, Seeds and Varieties: Supporting Informal Seed Supply in Ethiopia. M. Thijssen, Wageningen International.

  • Brandt, A. S., Spring, A., et al. (1997). The “Tree Against Hunger.” Enset-Based Agricultural Systems in Ethiopia. American Association for the Advancement of Science, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, S. B. (1992). Reconsidering the Green Revolution: Diversity and Stability in Cradle Areas of Crop Domestication. Human Ecology 20(2).

  • Brush, S. B., and Meng, E. (1998). Farmers’ Valuation and Conservation of Crop Genetic Resources. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 45: 139–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CSA. (2003). Ethiopian Agricultural Sample Enumeration 2001/2002 (1994 E.C.) Report on Socio-economic Characteristics of the Populations in Agriculture Households, Land Use, and Area and Production of Crops, Part 1. Central Statistics Authority. Addis Ababa.

  • De Boef, W. S. (2008). Agrobiodiversity, Conservation Strategies, and Informal Seed Supply. Farmers, Seeds, and Varieties: Supporting Informal Seed Supply in Ethiopia. M. Thijssen, Z. Bishaw, A. Beshir and W. S. De Boef, Wageningen International.

  • De Boef, W. S., Dempewolf, H., et al. (2010). Integrating Genetic Resource Conservation and Sustainable Development into Strategies to Increase the Robustness of Seed Systems. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 34(5): 504–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, E., Ilyasov, J., et al. (2007). Local Institutions and Plant Genetic Resources in Rural Uzbekistan and Some Theoretical Implications. World Development 35(9): 1564–1578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FDRE (2000). Agroecological Zonation of Ethiopia. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Ministry of Agriculture, Addis Ababa.

    Google Scholar 

  • FDRE (2008). Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Population Census Commission, Addis Ababa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gepts, P. (2006). Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization: The Accomplishments and Future of a Societal Insurance Policy. Crop Science 46(5): 2278–2292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, D., Hoddinott, J., et al. (2008). An Analysis of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program and Its Linkages. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadado, T. T., Rau, D., et al. (2010). Adaptation and Diversity Along an Altitudinal Gradient in Ethiopian Barley (Hordeum Vulagre) Landraces Revealed by Molecular Analysis. BMC Plant Biology 10: 121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kebebew, F., Tsehaye, Y., et al. (2001). Morphological and Farmers Cognitive Diversity of Barley (Hordeum Vulgare) at Bale and North Shewa of Ethiopia. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 00: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipper, L., Cavatassi, R., Winters, P. (2005). Seed Systems, Household Welfare and Crop Genetic Diversity: An Economic Methodology Applied in Ethiopia. UN FAO Agricultural and Development Economics Division. ESA Technical Paper, November 2005.

  • McGuire, S. (2005). Getting Genes: Rethinking Seed System Analysis and Reform for Sorghum in Ethiopia. PhD dissertation, Wageningen University, Netherlands.

  • McGuire, S. J. (2008). Securing Access to Seed: Social Relations and Sorghum Seed Exchange in Eastern Ethiopia. Human Ecology 36: 217–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perales, H. R., Brush, S. B., et al. (2003). Dynamic Management of Maize Landraces in Central Mexico. Economic Botany 57: 21–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pressoir, G., and Berthaud, J. (2004). Patterns of Population Structure in Maize Landraces from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca in Mexico. Heredity 92: 88–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samberg, L. H., Shennan, C., et al. (2010). Human and Environmental Factors Affect Patterns of Crop Diversity in an Ethiopian Highland Agroecosystem. The Professional Geographer 62(3): 395–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shennan, C. (2008). Biotic Interactions, Ecological Knowledge, and Agriculture. Philisophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 363: 717–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperling, L., and McGuire, S. (2010). Understanding and Strengthening Informal Seed Markets. Experimental Agriculture 46(2): 119–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sthapit, B., Subedi, A., et al. (2008). Practices supporitng community management of farmers’ varieties. In Thijssen, M., Bishaw, Z., Beshir, A., and De Boef, W. S. Farmers, Seeds, and Varieties: Supporting Informal Seed Supply in Ethiopia, Wageningen International.

  • Stromberg, P. M., Pascale, U., et al. (2010). Seed Systems and Farmers’ Seed Choices: The Case of Maize in the Peruvian Amazon. Human Ecology 38: 539–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teklu, Y., and Hammer, K. (2006). Farmers’ Perception and Genetic Erosion of Tetraploid Wheats Landraces in Ethiopia. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 53: 1099–1113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tesfaye, B. (2008). The Enset (Ensete Ventricosum) Gardens of Sidama: Composition, Structure and Dynamics of a Traditional Poly-Variety System. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 55: 1374–1358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tunstall, V., Teshome, A., et al. (2001). Distribution, Abundance, and Risk of Loss of Sorghum Landraces in Four Communities in North Shewa and South Welo, Ethiopia. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 48: 131–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vadez, V., Reyes-Garcia, V., et al. (2004). Does Integration to the Market Threaten Agricultural Diversity? Panel and Cross-Sectional Data from a Horticultural-Foraging Society in the Bolivian Amazon. Human Ecology 32(5): 635–646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vavilov, N. I., and Chester, K. S. (1951). The Origin, Variation and Breeding of Cultivated Plants. Chronica Botanica 13: 1–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • vom Brocke, K., Christinck, A., et al. (2003). Farmers’ Seed Systems and Management Practices Determine Pearl Millet Genetic Diversity Patterns in Semiarid Regions of India. Crop Science 43: 1680–1689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeven, A. (1998). Landraces: A Review of Definitions and Classifications. Euphytica 104: 127–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leah H. Samberg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Samberg, L.H., Shennan, C. & Zavaleta, E. Farmer Seed Exchange and Crop Diversity in a Changing Agricultural Landscape in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia. Hum Ecol 41, 477–485 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-013-9579-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-013-9579-7

Keywords

Navigation