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Securing Access to Seed: Social Relations and Sorghum Seed Exchange in Eastern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Access to seed is crucial for farming, though few studies investigate household-level access in the informal ‘farmer seed systems’ which still supply most seed in poor countries. This paper uses empirical data of seed exchange practices for sorghum in eastern Ethiopia to analyze how social relationships influence access to off-farm seed for a major crop. Seed shortfalls are common, and farmer–farmer exchange is important for providing locally-adapted seed to fill this gap, but access varies considerably among households, also affecting quantities supplied and terms of exchange. Preferred sources for off-farm seed (neighbors, government, market) also vary among farmers, reflecting agroecology and asset-ownership, but also differing access to these sources. Social network theories highlight the importance of reciprocal ties, and the cultural norms underpinning them, in accessing seed. These cultural norms are contested, with some claiming that commercial transactions are increasingly common. Implications for interventions supporting farmer seed systems, particularly emergency seed aid, are discussed in relation to the socially-mediated nature of seed access.

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Notes

  1. For instance, the FAO supported seed system development projects 60 countries, while the World Bank spent US $80 million on seed supply reforms in 40 sub-Saharan African countries (Scowcroft and Polack Scowcroft 1999).

  2. Supplying farmers with the means to access local seed (vouchers or cash) is generally seen as an alternate approach to distributing seed from outside the affected region. There is a growing literature on the merits of these different approaches; see Sperling et al. (2004, 2006).

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Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by research scholarships from Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the O’Brien Foundation. The support of the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, and of the Technology and Agrarian Development Research Group in Wageningen University is also appreciated. Incisive comments from Christine Okali, Cecile Jackson, and three anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Shawn J. McGuire

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McGuire, S.J. Securing Access to Seed: Social Relations and Sorghum Seed Exchange in Eastern Ethiopia. Hum Ecol 36, 217–229 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-007-9143-4

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