INTRODUCTION

Seed Security is a precursor to food security because availability and quality of seed set the limits to crop production and productivity.

In the SADC region however, good quality seed is not always available to farmers who are responsible for ensuring household, national and regional food security. The Region’s seed systems are weak and do not deliver seed in an effective manner particularly to small-scale farmers. At the same time, disasters such as droughts, floods, cyclones and conflicts have become cyclic and have further worsened the seed insecurity situation of small farmers. Further, movement of seed from one SADC member state to another continues to be a problem because of barriers brought about by various pieces of seed legislation. As a result, sourcing of seed by countries with deficits from those with surpluses within the SADC region is hampered by diverse and fragmented seed legislations. This situation has not been in the best interest of securing food security.

THE SADC SEED SECURITY NETWORK (SSSN)

To address the above challenges, SADC Seed Security Network was established in 2001 as a project within the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate, based at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana. The project is supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

THE GOAL

The goal of the SADC Seed Security Network is to contribute to improved food security through increased seed security and better disaster preparedness in the SADC Region, addressing in particular the needs of resource-poor, small-scale farmers whose seed systems are affected by recurrent disasters.

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the SADC Seed Security Network are as set out below:

• To harmonize seed regulations and policies for the promotion of seed movement and trade in the SADC region;
• To provide a regular flow of seed information in the SADC region;
• To establish training needs and provide capacity building at various levels through seed training and
• To establish improved procedures for preparation and execution of seed interventions in disasters.