The document discusses the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on agriculture and food security, and the need to strengthen seed systems during and after the pandemic. It argues that providing climate-resilient and nutritionally enriched seed to farmers is essential. It also discusses how the seed sector has responded to challenges caused by the pandemic, and recommends strengthening formal and informal seed systems through more effective digital and community-based approaches.

1. Strengthening Seed Security:
New Imperative During and After Covid19 Pandemic
B.M. Prasanna
Director, Global Maize Program, CIMMYT
& CGIAR Research Program MAIZE
Email: b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org
IFPRI Webinar; Feb 2, 2021

2. Covid19 Pandemic: An Unprecedented Situation
▪ Deep impact on the society, economy,
and agri-food systems
▪ Disproportionate effect on the poor →
food insecurity and nutrition crisis
▪ Simultaneous onslaught by
transboundary pests like locusts and
Fall Armyworm
▪ The crisis heightens the need for
building more resilient and innovative
agri-food systems
Agriculture
Economy
Society

3. Providing climate-resilient and nutritionally
enriched seed to farmers is an “essential service”
▪ Increasing frequency and
intensification of erratic weather
events due to climate change could
further exacerbate the current crisis.
▪ Resource-constrained smallholders,
especially women and marginalized
communities, need access to
climate-resilient and nutritionally
enriched maize varieties much more
than ever before.

4. “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
▪ Nutrients with capability to boost the
immune system strength, when safe
levels are not exceeded – Zn, Fe,
Selenium, Vit A, D, C, etc.
▪ Important safety net for maintaining
healthy immune systems, especially
for millions of vulnerable populations
in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
▪ Huge opportunity to enrich our
product profiles with enhanced
nutritional quality
Read et al. (2019): “an abundance of evidence
has accumulated over the last 50 years to
demonstrate the antiviral activity of zinc
against a variety of viruses, and via numerous
mechanisms.”
Fore et al. (2020)
The Lancet; July 2020

5. Access to Affordable and Healthy Diets
Holistic Approach to Nutrition & Health
▪ Biofortified varieties and “Smart Foods”:
Scale-up and deploy through strategic
partnerships
▪ Establish/strengthen collaboration with
biomedical sciences → better understanding
of traits that contribute to improved
metabolism
▪ Enhance content of under-researched
bioactive compounds that strengthen
immune response (Covid19 lesson!)
▪ Political economy: communication, advocacy,
education and behavior change
Prasanna et al. (2020) Frontiers in Genetics

6. How is the seed sector responding to the crisis?
Agricultural Systems (2021)
• Reduced mobility
• Increased cost of transactions →
reduced availability of quality seed
• Delays in development and release of
improved varieties
• Delays in seed production and
distribution
• Weakened promotion efforts Source: de Boef et al. (2021)

7. ▪ About 86% of agrovets: difficulty to obtain
supplies from their suppliers due to the blockage
of transportation and product unavailability →
50-90% dip in agribusinesses.
▪ A one-size-fits-all relief package would NOT be
effective for farming communities living in
different domains.
▪ Major support should be on facilitating transport
and distribution of seed and fertilizers, access to
food supplies through the local government’s
schemes, and provision of soft loans.
Source: Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Project (July 2020)

8. “Think forward and expand response toward
market-led support, especially to informal
markets”
• Gender-sensitive and nutrition-focused seed
systems
• Community-based seed production
• Village/community seed banks
• Seed revolving fund
• Quality declared seed
• Local seed business promotion
• Small seed packs
Food Security (2020)
Photo Source: CIMMYT

9. Strengthening Formal and Informal Seed Systems
Implement new and more effective ways
▪ Digital seed production and
delivery road maps
▪ Digitization of varietal release, seed
inventory management, and
varietal promotion
▪ Virtual engagement with seed
companies and agro-dealers
▪ Remote sensing and visual imaging
technologies of seed production
fields

10. The journey for recovery
and resilience of agri-
food systems must be
holistic and inclusive
and should begin NOW!