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  • Its patentability will jeopardize farmers’ and breeders’ free access to seeds instead. By Nout van der Vaart, Policy Lead Food and Land at Oxfam Novib Much has been discussed already about the European Commission’s proposal to deregulate new genomic techniques (NGTs). On January 24, members of the Environmental Committee of the European Parliament will vote […]

  • Prepared by Aakash Koirala, Senior Program Officer, LIBIRD Reviewed by Lok Pd. Poudel, Technical Coordinator Oxfam Nepal The “Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security (SD=HS),” a four-year collaborative initiative involving Oxfam Novib, Oxfam Nepal, and LIBIRD, launched from 2019 to 2023 (with a one-year, no-cost extension) was funded by SIDA. The primary objective of this initiative […]

  • By Nout van der Vaart, Oxfam Novib The Oxfam Novib SD=HS team participated in the SeedNL Annual Event, which took place in Wageningen, the Netherlands on October 5th. During the event, the team had the opportunity to co-facilitate a joint break-out session together with ISSD Uganda, to inform the audience about seed system policies and […]

  • By Lok Pd Poudel, Technical Coordinator, Oxfam Nepal The Progressive Seed Producer’s Farmer’s Field School in Jorayal Gaupalika Ward No. 2, Budar Doti, was established three years ago with the active participation of 33 dedicated women members. The school’s primary focus has been on Participatory Plant Varietal Enhancement (PVE) practices, especially for the local wheat variety, Seto Dabdi. Additionally, they have taken up […]

  • The original article can be found on ESAFF website The SD=HS Program has registered great success in Uganda over the past few years, however, little has been made known to the different stakeholders and platforms in agriculture to justify the role of farmers in maintaining and working in farmer managed seed system which are playing […]

  • “Change is the end result of all true learning” -Leo Buscaglia The journey of learning that began in the second phase of the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security (SD=HS) program for Zambia has come to an end by the year 2023. Since 2019 Zambia has strived to achieve change through learning, unlearning, and relearning together […]

  • By Lalita Ale, LI-BIRD and translated by Lok Pd Poudel, Oxfam in Nepal Pahalman Chaudhary, a 41-year-old resident of Kailari Rural Municipality, Kailali District, Sudurpaschim Province, underwent a remarkable transformation in just two years. Contrary to the general notion that small landholding farmers cannot engage in seed production, Pahalman stands as a compelling example, demonstrating […]

  • By Manata Jeko and Pardon Sithole The Government of Zimbabwe through the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) has pledged to fully utilize the services of Farmer Field School Master Trainers and facilitators trained under the SD=HS program with the support from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The […]

  • By Manata Jeko and Pardon Sithole Outcomes from the just-ended National end-of-season evaluation in Zimbabwe have demonstrated that the Sowing Diversity Equals Harvesting Security (SDHS) program in Zimbabwe has transformed farmers’ seed systems. A group of 30 participants from the six operational districts convened at Chibhanguza Hotel over three days to evaluate the performance of […]

  • By Jeko Manata The tale of success in Matihwa village, situated within Chiredzi’s Chilonga area in the semi-arid southeastern region of Zimbabwe, revolves around the remarkable journey of Mr. Muzamani Lihinga. His collaboration with the Sowing Diversity equals Harvesting Security (SDHS) program in Zimbabwe has resulted the opportunity to increase the income for smallholder farmers […]

  • By Pardon Sithole Women in Africa have played a crucial role in ensuring household food and nutrition security. They have taken on responsibilities in crop production, meal preparation, and diversifying family diets to meet varying nutritional needs. Sylvia Zimboko, a farmer from Zimbabwe’s southeastern lowveld, faced challenges due to recurrent droughts and long dry seasons […]

  • By Juliet Nangamba and Diana Mapulanga According to the USAID report on nutrition in Zambia, updated in 2018 indicates that 1.12 million children (40 per cent) under 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting or low height-for-age) and 420,000 children (15 per cent) under 5 years suffer from acute malnutrition (wasting or low weight-for-height). Considering […]

  • By Angel Villavicencio, Milagros Ysuhuaylas, Kelly Alvarez, Pavel Lozano (Fovida) and Ana Lucía Núñez (Oxfam) Agrobiodiversity and Barter Fair – Paucará 2023 On July 20, the “First Agrobiodiversity and Barter Fair – Paucará 2023” was held in the province of Acobamba, in the Huancavelica, central highlands of Peru. Barter is an ancestral mechanism local communities […]

  • Clustered Refresher Training on Farmer Field School (FFS) Methodology Refresher training sessions on the Farmer Field School (FFS) Methodology were organized in clusters. In Omoro district, a total of 14 FFS facilitators (8 females and 6 males) underwent reorientation on FFS methodology during the period from 28- 31 August 2023. The primary objective of this […]

  • By Eco Matser, Project Lead SD=HS Community seed banks play an important role in the SD=HS program approach to safeguard the genetic diversity of local crops and increase community food and nutrition security. They provide farmers with a safe storage for seeds as well as a source for seed that disappeared in the community. The […]

  • Environmental and socio-economic conditions in many zones of West Africa are rapidly changing. The outcomes are unstable governments and unprecedented variability of weather conditions that adversely affect millions of farmers, many of whom already face food insecurity on a regular basis. When conflict meets disaster, having access to good quality seeds that will provide food […]

  • From March 28th to March 30th, Catholic Relief Services’ S34D in collaboration with Oxfam Novib’s SD=HS hosted a Farmers’ Variety Registration System workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nearly 40 national and international seed experts were present, representing national research institutions, non-governmental organizations, USAID, and the Ethiopian government. S34D was honored to welcome distinguished guests Dr. […]

  • Eco Matser has taken on formal responsibilities as the new SD=HS project lead as of 1st of April You can get to know him via this short welcome interview. Welcome to the SD=HS team, Eco! How would you introduce yourself in a few words?I would say I am committed and enjoy supporting change by working […]

  • By ESAFF Uganda In honor of women’s day, SD=HS will dedicate the whole month of March to highlighting the great work and strides made by women across the countries where we work. Little did 45-year-old Akello Hellen know that growing up in a rural area in Orungo sub county, Amuria district would inspire her to […]

  • By Farmer Seed Network in China In honor of women’s day, SD=HS will dedicate the whole month of March to highlighting the great work and strides made by women across the countries where we work. Aohan Banner, Inner Mongolia, is the birthplace of millet and has an 8,000-year history of dry farming. In 2000, it […]

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