Contribution of Community Seed Banks to farmer seed systems and food security in Northern and Central Malawi
基于马拉维688户家庭和1600块地块的调查数据，研究发现参与社区种子库的农户粮食安全水平更高，且该参与行为与过去遭遇高温和降雨短缺的经历正相关，表明社区种子库在适应气候变化中发挥作用。
• CSBs are an important seed source for participants in Malawi. • Participating in CSBs is associated with higher food security compared to non-participants with similar socioeconomic status. • Past exposure to rainfall shortages and high temperatures is associated with a higher propensity to participate in CSBs. Community Seed Banks (CSBs) are promoted as an approach to support farmers’ access to quality seeds of adapted varieties. While the adoption and impact of varieties distributed through conventional formal seed systems have been extensively studied, research on how participation in CSBs relates to farmers’ seed systems and food security is limited. This paper uses survey data covering 688 households and 1600 plots from Northern and Central Malawi, combined with historical climate data, to assess the extent to which farmers are utilizing CSBs as a seed source and the association of farmer participation in CSBs with a range of other foods system variables. We find that CSBs are the source of about 1/3 of the seeds of maize, groundnut, and soyabean used by the participants and that they source less of their seeds from their own harvest compared to non-participants. While the use of CSB seeds of different crops shows mixed associations with yields at the plot-level, we find that CSB participation is positively associated with higher household food security overall. Furthermore, we find a positive association between exposure to high mean temperatures and rainfall shortages and the propensity to participate in CSBs, suggesting CSBs play a role in adaptation. This study thus shows that CSB participation is associated with several positive food system outcomes, but more research is needed to understand the causal links as well as the efficiency of CSBs compared to other approaches to strengthen farmers’ seed security.