Community Seed Banks in Nepal: Prospects and Challenges from the Perspective of Climate Change Adaptation

Shree Kumar Maharjan, Keshav Lall Mahjarjan

Abstract


Conservation of quality seeds, their diversity and accessibility has always been vital for farmers. Community Seed Banks (CSBs) has emerged as a formalized and effective local-institution to conserve and maintain quality seeds. It also enhances farmers’ accessibility, strengthens informal seed networks and improves agro-biodiversity and local food security. This paper aims to identify the prospects and challenges ofCSBs in climate-change contexts by review of literature. It is found that CSBs serve as sources of climate-resilient and stress-tolerant seeds that can withstand in local climate, thus, improve the community resilience. Additionally, CSBs provide landraces for participatory crop improvement to develop new resistant varieties for better quality and productivity. CSBs also strengthenparticipatory seed exchangeto cope with climate adversity. However, it’s challenge to define specific and common goals, functions, approaches and governance of CSBs. The CSB guideline is developed by the Crop Development Directorate, but implementation remains still a challenge.

Keywords


Seed Bank; Landraces, Seed Networks; Community Adaptation; On-farm Conservation

References


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