Community Diversity Seed Fairs in Tanzania - Guidelines for seed fairs

Community Diversity Seed Fairs in Tanzania - Guidelines for seed fairs

Descripción

This document reports on four community seed diversity fairs that were held in the United Republic of Tanzania: two in the central zone, at Dabalo and Misughaa villages, covering Dodoma and Singida regions, respectively; and two in the southern highlands, at Shinji and Malinzanga villages, covering Ileje and Iringa districts, respectively. In order to make these seed fairs affordable for the rural communities, they were organized on a small scale at the village level, with farmers from the village displaying the diversity of their crops. Based on the wealth of local crop varieties available in the villages, the seed fairs focused on improved and local crop diversity in the three categories of staple, neglected and collected crops. Hybrid seeds were also exhibited, but these were not the main focus of the seed fairs because they are not important crops in the semi-arid climatic conditions of the areas concerned; during the planning session it had been decided that fa rmers should display what they actually grow in their fields.