Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities

This article examines the potential role of agri-business SMEs in scaling climate resilient seed systems through inclusive business models in Eastern and Southern Africa. Over the last decade, donors and policymakers have coalesced behind a private-sector scaling agenda for Climate Smart Agriculture...

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Main Authors: Shilomboleni, Helena, Recha, John W.M., Radeny, Maren A.O., Osumba, Joab J.L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Informa UK Limited 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/120469
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author Shilomboleni, Helena
Recha, John W.M.
Radeny, Maren A.O.
Osumba, Joab J.L.
author_browse Osumba, Joab J.L.
Radeny, Maren A.O.
Recha, John W.M.
Shilomboleni, Helena
author_facet Shilomboleni, Helena
Recha, John W.M.
Radeny, Maren A.O.
Osumba, Joab J.L.
author_sort Shilomboleni, Helena
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This article examines the potential role of agri-business SMEs in scaling climate resilient seed systems through inclusive business models in Eastern and Southern Africa. Over the last decade, donors and policymakers have coalesced behind a private-sector scaling agenda for Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in which small-and-medium enterprises, multinational corporations and financial institutions are recognized for their potential to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of aid. This agenda has progressively adopted notions of inclusiveness entailing wider socio-economic empowerment for smallholder farmers and sustainability. Whereas proponents of private sector-scaling of CSA seed systems through inclusive business models make linear assumptions surrounding shared value outcomes and impact at scale for farmers and companies alike, we argue that these dynamics are not always straightforward in practice. For instance, the current focus of CSA seed-related investments towards the formalization and commercialization of seed sectors, does not correspond well to the contextual reality of where ESA farmers source the bulk of their seeds-from diverse channels operating under Farmer-Managed Seed Systems. More careful consideration is needed into the conditions under which inclusive business models could be more compatible with local farming contexts in ways that can support equitable and sustainable transitions at scale.
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institution CGIAR Consortium
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publishDate 2023
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spelling CGSpace1204692025-03-11T12:14:31Z Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities Shilomboleni, Helena Recha, John W.M. Radeny, Maren A.O. Osumba, Joab J.L. seed systems scaling impact at scale climate adaptation smallholders farmers This article examines the potential role of agri-business SMEs in scaling climate resilient seed systems through inclusive business models in Eastern and Southern Africa. Over the last decade, donors and policymakers have coalesced behind a private-sector scaling agenda for Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in which small-and-medium enterprises, multinational corporations and financial institutions are recognized for their potential to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of aid. This agenda has progressively adopted notions of inclusiveness entailing wider socio-economic empowerment for smallholder farmers and sustainability. Whereas proponents of private sector-scaling of CSA seed systems through inclusive business models make linear assumptions surrounding shared value outcomes and impact at scale for farmers and companies alike, we argue that these dynamics are not always straightforward in practice. For instance, the current focus of CSA seed-related investments towards the formalization and commercialization of seed sectors, does not correspond well to the contextual reality of where ESA farmers source the bulk of their seeds-from diverse channels operating under Farmer-Managed Seed Systems. More careful consideration is needed into the conditions under which inclusive business models could be more compatible with local farming contexts in ways that can support equitable and sustainable transitions at scale. 2023-03-16 2022-08-05T19:08:37Z 2022-08-05T19:08:37Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/120469 en Open Access Informa UK Limited Shilomboleni H, Recha J, Radeny M, Osumba J. 2022. Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities. Climate and Development.
spellingShingle seed systems
scaling
impact at scale
climate
adaptation
smallholders
farmers
Shilomboleni, Helena
Recha, John W.M.
Radeny, Maren A.O.
Osumba, Joab J.L.
Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title_full Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title_fullStr Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title_full_unstemmed Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title_short Scaling climate resilient seed systems through SMEs in Eastern and Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities
title_sort scaling climate resilient seed systems through smes in eastern and southern africa challenges and opportunities
topic seed systems
scaling
impact at scale
climate
adaptation
smallholders
farmers
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/120469
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AT radenymarenao scalingclimateresilientseedsystemsthroughsmesineasternandsouthernafricachallengesandopportunities
AT osumbajoabjl scalingclimateresilientseedsystemsthroughsmesineasternandsouthernafricachallengesandopportunities