Programs and Principles

Programs
Program:    Integrated agrobiodiversity management and seed security program

Focus: Sustainable conservation, enhancement and utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) across diverse farming and production systems.

Principle: Keeping diversity alive – Promoting sustainable management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture through integrated in situ and ex situ diversity management strategies.

Strategic approach – Conservation through use – Promoting utilization of crop/plant genetic diversity in forms that are ecologically dynamic, economically beneficial and satisfy farmers’ needs and objectives.

Program activities

1.   Management of crop/plant genetic diversity

On-farm/in situ and off-farm/ex situ genetic diversity management practices in which farmers grow diversity on farms /plots (as in situ practice) and maintain seed samples in their traditional seed storage facilities (as “de facto” ex situ seed reserves) are strengthened and promoted.

i.                     On-farm/in situ management of genetic diversity is more of a system management and represents conservation.  Agroecological variables and farmers management practices and knowledge shape the diversity, spatially and temporally.

ii.                   Off-farm/ex-situ management of genetic diversity represents preservation. Genetic diversity is maintained out of natural systems, usually in a physiologically/biochemically dormant state.

Off-farm/ex situ practices involve strengthening of the traditional seed storage and seed networking systems which enable easy flow of diversity within and among local communities.

2.       Enhancement of farmers varieties

Most of farmers’ varieties are genetically wide based and can fit to a range of niches but with modifications according niche requirements. Enhancement of such varieties provides the opportunity to identify and develop niche specific forms. EOSA’s approach in this regard has been useful for increasing local crop diversity on farms providing farmers with wider choice of varieties to use. It also provided the opportunity for testing and adopting prerelease and released formal crop varieties.

Locally grown and introduced farmers varieties, finished or near finished formal varieties and varieties of indigenous crops from the collections of the National gene bank are used for the purpose.

At present, there are a number of niche specific forms of farmers varieties developed and are in use across different farming systems.

3.   Strengthening farmers’ seed systems

Farmers’ seed systems are usually diversity based, dynamic and coevolve with environmental and socio-economic changes, contributing to the local seed and food security.

EOSA’s supports farmers’ seed systems by strengthening the traditional seed networks and by enhancing farmers’ capacity as producers of quality seeds of locally essential crops.

The traditional local seed network systems are linked to community seed banking system in areas where seed banks exist and function. 

4.   Community seed banking

Community seed banking is promoted as a strategy for strengthening local seed supply systems. The CSBs provide access to diverse planting materials and is organized to operate as part of the local seed networks.

EOSA has established dozens of community seed banks and field gene banks with different levels of capacities.

These setups function as farmers’ institutions and as mechanisms by which local farmers are supported to increase, manage and enhance local crop/plant diversity.

  5.       Introduction and utilization of underutilized crops

There are a number of crops/plants that of important use values for many but given little or space for development opportunity. Nevertheless, these crops are growing to be important, particularly in marginal areas although neglected by agricultural research and development.

Finger millet, for example, has become one of a few climate change resilient crops on which marginalized farming communities depend for life.

Pearl millet is another underutilized crop which the most climate impact affected low-income drought prone farming communities of South Wello have adopted through own research. 

6.   Mainstreaming agroecological approaches

Agroecological approach is about placing all elements of agroecosystems into an integral relationship in order to

ensure sustainability of agriculture. Sustainability in agriculture is the product of harmonious functions of all elements

of agroecosystems.

EOSA promotes multi-functional approaches to enhance the biological, ecological, socioeconomic, sociocultural and functional services of local agroecosystems. The principle of the approach is based on balanced management of all components of agroecosystems.

Alternative practices are promoted for reducing dependence on costly and environmentally harmful agricultural inputs. Such practices provide the opportunity to improve farm productivity and livelihood resilience while minimizing risks to farm soils and farm environments in general.

7.   Improving farmers climate change adaptive capacity

Climate change disrupts local agroecological functions and the stock of biodiversity resources on which farming communities depend. Farming communities with low level of income and capacity are the most affected by the impacts of the change. The strength of farming communities’ climate change adaptive capacity mainly depends on the local biodiversity resources and on agroecological functions and services

One of the major EOSA’s strategies for stabilizing productivity under climate change conditions is increasing the total farm productivity in situ. Farm productivity is increased by increasing diversity on farms but in forms that are resilient and productive and satisfy farmers needs.

Partnership and collaboration

EOSA closely works with farming communities, research and academic institutions as well as with likeminded groups within and beyond Ethiopia. Collaborative actions with the National Gene Bank enabled restoration of the displaced crop genetic diversity. Similarly, collaboration with Agricultural Research Centres enabled improvement of the productivity potentials of farmers’ varieties of indigenous agricultural crops.