Consultancy for the development and rolling out of a community/farmer managed seed system (FMSS) in LFSP Districts of Mutasa, Makoni and Mutare: Practical Action

Deadline: 22 November 2020 (4pm)

Introduction

Practical Action is a change making organisation that works in unconventional ways. We put ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world. We think differently, so answers that start small can grow big - bringing people together in bold collaboration, using innovation and knowledge to build futures free from poverty and help shape a world that works better for everyone. Practical Action in southern Africa focuses three change ambitions: (1) Energy that transforms, (2) Farming that works, and (3) Resilience that protects.

Practical Action was contracted by FAO to implement the Livelihood and Food Security Project (lFSP) in Makoni, Mutare and Mutasa of Manicaland. INSPIRE The Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Production and Increased Resilience for Economic Growth is one of the consortiums implementing the program and is made up of ICRISAT and Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT) as sub grantees and Practical Action being the Lead Partner.

The Zimbabwe Livelihoods and Food Security Program (LFSP) is a UK-funded aid program that aims to contribute to poverty reduction through increased incomes and improved food and nutrition security for around 250,000 households (more than 1,000,000 people) in the 12 target districts of Zimbabwe. The Agriculture Productivity and Nutrition Component (APN) and the Market Development Component (MD) of the Programme is being managed by FAO and Palladium respectively.

In Manicaland the Programmes targets to reach to 80,000 households in 87 wards of the 3 districts and aims to achieve the expected effect by; Raising smallholder farm productivity by promoting improved and climate appropriate agricultural practices; Increasing access by smallholder farmers and their value chain actors to rural finance.

Fostering innovative ways of linking farmer groups and commercial markets; Stimulating production and consumption of safe and more nutritious food including biofortification; Generating and communicating evidence to influence policy and private sector investments; Gender and youth are mainstreamed across the Programme.

Background and Purpose

Access to good, healthy and preferred seed for different crops is of fundamental importance for millions of smallholder farmers and vulnerable households in the developing world. Today, seed varieties and the knowledge to preserve seed are under threat. Many factors contribute to this but key among them is the lack of recognition of the value of indigenous seed. Currently, policy tends to favour researcher-developed and commercially produced seed. However, work by ourselves and others, and even international organisations such as the Convention on Biodiversity, shows that indigenous varieties, crops and famer-managed seed systems (FMSS) can have a vital role to play.

There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of Community Based/Famer Managed Seed Systems that are rooted in agroecological principles, and there is also a great need to identify and better support sustainable Farmer Managed Seed Systems at various levels within the communities, leadership, private sector and government.

Seed systems are important due to the need for a diversity of appropriate seed for productive, sustainable and inclusive agriculture. That seed can be indigenous or exotic, but must be available, affordable and of good quality. Additionally, because the climate is changing and farmers need to be able to adapt, they need a diversity of seed suitable for modifying and experimenting with their farming systems so that they can cope with the changing climate.

The purpose of this consultancy is to facilitate the development of a community/farmer managed seed system in the Livelihoods and Food Security Programme operational districts.