These three study reports help establish a roadmap for changing seed policies and laws toward instruments supporting farmer-based seed systems in Africa.

Throughout the world, farmers play a significant role in producing, selecting, managing, and conserving plant resources. In Africa, where smallholder farmers are still the overwhelming majority, women on smallholder farms play a critical role in enhancing household food and nutrition security. They have extensive knowledge of plant species’ food, fodder and medicinal properties. Until recently, and still today, most sovereign African farms are characterised by the great diversity of their species. How African communities manage seed and crop biodiversity – farmer-managed seed systems (FMSS) – need to be enhanced and improved.