8 Topics
5 Days
40 Sessions
Programme Overview
Training Description
- Farmers and smallholder agricultural producers
- Community seed bank managers and coordinators
- Agricultural extension officers
- Agronomists and agricultural scientists
- Plant breeders and seed specialists
- Agricultural biodiversity and conservation professionals
- Seed system and seed quality professionals
- Government agriculture officers and policymakers
- Rural development practitioners
- NGO and development organization staff
- Farmer cooperatives and producer organization leaders
Session Objectives
- Understand the principles of community seed banking. Learn techniques for seed collection and preservation. Explore methods for seed processing and storage. Design strategies for seed distribution and exchange. Promote the use of local seed varieties. Integrate seed banking into food security programs. Evaluate the role of seed banking in biodiversity conservation. Develop community-led seed initiatives.
About the Course
The Community Seed Banks, Agricultural Biodiversity and Climate Resilience Training Course equips participants with practical knowledge and skills for establishing, managing, and sustaining community-based seed systems that conserve crop diversity and strengthen local food and agricultural resilience.Through practical demonstrations, case studies, group exercises, and seed management activities, participants will develop skills in community seed bank planning, site and storage management, seed inventory systems, risk management, farmer participation, governance, and sustainable seed distribution.The course also considers important issues such as seed rights, intellectual property, access to genetic resources, benefit sharing, traditional knowledge, gender roles in seed management, and the participation of smallholder farmers and marginalized communities.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to support the development of community seed systems that contribute to crop diversity, seed security, food security, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and conservation of local agricultural heritage.
Curriculum & Topics
8 Topics | 40 Sessions
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Workshop 1.1:
Defining community seed banking and its core principles
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Workshop 1.2:
Importance of local seed varieties and agrobiodiversity
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Workshop 1.3:
Role of seed banks in food security and climate change adaptation
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Workshop 1.4:
Ethical considerations in seed banking
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Workshop 1.5:
Legal frameworks and policies related to seed conservation
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Workshop 2.1:
Methods for preserving seed viability
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Workshop 2.2:
Techniques for collecting seeds from various crops
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Workshop 2.3:
Documentation and characterization of collected seeds
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Workshop 2.4:
Field surveys and participatory plant breeding
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Workshop 2.5:
Best practices for on-farm seed conservation
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Workshop 3.1:
Methods for seed cleaning and drying
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Workshop 3.2:
Techniques for seed packaging and labeling
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Workshop 3.3:
Designing appropriate seed storage facilities
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Workshop 3.4:
Managing seed health and quality
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Workshop 3.5:
Preventing seed deterioration and loss
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Workshop 4.1:
Strategies for seed distribution within communities
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Workshop 4.2:
Establishing seed exchange networks
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Workshop 4.3:
Developing seed catalogs and databases
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Workshop 4.4:
Organizing seed fairs and festivals
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Workshop 4.5:
Promoting equitable access to seeds
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Workshop 5.1:
Understanding the characteristics and benefits of local varieties
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Workshop 5.2:
Strategies for promoting the use of local seeds in farming
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Workshop 5.3:
Developing marketing and value-addition for local seed products
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Workshop 5.4:
Connecting farmers to markets for local crops
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Workshop 5.5:
Celebrating cultural heritage associated with local seeds
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Workshop 6.1:
Linking seed banking to food assistance and development projects
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Workshop 6.2:
Using seed banks to support crop diversification
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Workshop 6.3:
Enhancing resilience of farming systems through seed diversity
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Workshop 6.4:
Developing seed-based interventions for emergencies
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Workshop 6.5:
Monitoring and evaluating the impact of seed banking on food security
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Workshop 7.1:
Understanding the role of seed banking in conserving plant genetic resources
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Workshop 7.2:
Assessing the contribution of seed banks to biodiversity conservation
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Workshop 7.3:
Developing strategies for in situ and ex situ conservation
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Workshop 7.4:
Managing seed banks as part of a national conservation strategy
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Workshop 7.5:
Addressing the challenges of genetic erosion
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Workshop 8.1:
Establishing and managing community seed banks
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Workshop 8.2:
Building community capacity for seed production and management
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Workshop 8.3:
Developing governance structures for seed banks
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Workshop 8.4:
Ensuring sustainability of community seed initiatives
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Workshop 8.5:
Networking and collaboration among community seed banks
