ABSTRACT
Seed policies and laws from developing countries around the world generally fail to recognize the importance of farmers’ seed systems, or support participatory plant breeding (PPB) practices. Instead, national seed laws and regional harmonization processes aim primarily at regulating and stimulating the formal, commercial seed sector. This neglect of farmers’ seed systems and the diverse needs and realities of smallholder farmers involved in breeding and seed production can result in serious bottlenecks for PPB projects. For example, smallholder farmers may not legally be allowed to exchange farm-saved seed amongst themselves; they may not be able to register as seed producers; or they may not be able to register their new varieties. Some countries and organizations have responded by developing alternative systems for seed certification and variety registration. Such alternative approaches can strongly support and facilitate PPB projects, but they remain scarce and little-researched. Further investment is needed in their development and implementation, and in impact assessment.
