Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications

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cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and advanced research institute
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Livestock Research Institute
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Food Policy Research Institute
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Potato Center
cg.contributor.affiliationBioversity International
cg.contributor.affiliationWageningen University & Research
cg.contributor.crpPolicies, Institutions, and Markets
cg.contributor.initiativeMarket Intelligence
cg.contributor.initiativeSeed Equal
cg.contributor.programAcceleratorBreeding for Tomorrow
cg.coverage.countryEthiopia
cg.coverage.countryKenya
cg.coverage.countryUganda
cg.coverage.countryTanzania
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2ET
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2KE
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2UG
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2TZ
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africa
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.creator.identifierAlessandra Galiè: 0000-0001-9868-7733
cg.creator.identifierBerber Kramer: 0000-0001-7644-6613
cg.creator.identifierDavid J. Spielman: 0000-0002-6889-7358
cg.creator.identifierNozomi Kawarazuka: 0000-0002-7806-1247
cg.creator.identifierAnne Rietveld: 0000-0002-9400-9473
cg.creator.identifierStellamaris Aju: 0000-0002-8105-8962
cg.howPublishedFormally Published
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104320
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit
cg.identifier.publicationRankA
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.issn0308-521X
cg.journalAgricultural Systems
cg.number104320
cg.reviewStatusPeer Review
cg.subject.ilriGENDER
cg.subject.ilriRESEARCH
cg.volume226
dc.contributor.authorGaliè, Alessandra
dc.contributor.authorKramer, Berber
dc.contributor.authorSpielman, David J.
dc.contributor.authorKawarazuka, Nozomi
dc.contributor.authorRietveld, Anne M.
dc.contributor.authorAju, Stellamaris
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-24T14:50:50Zen
dc.date.available2025-03-24T14:50:50Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/173822
dc.titleInclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applicationsen
dcterms.abstractCONTEXT Seed is vital to the nutrition and livelihoods of millions of women and men small-scale farmers in low- and middle-income countries. Seed systems interventions can significantly enhance food security and nutrition by accelerating the adoption of improved varieties and the use of quality seed, which in turn increase the rate of genetic gain, productivity, and household welfare. These interventions can be particularly effective when advancing gender equality by supporting women's empowerment and addressing discriminatory gender norms. However, there is relatively little evidence on the ways in which seed systems can be an entry point for advancing gender equality by transforming discriminatory gender norms. OBJECTIVES We develop and illustrate a gender transformative approach applied to seed sector development. Our first objective is to provide a framework to better understand how seed systems interventions can contribute to gender equality by (1) integrating gender-accommodative and gender-transformative approaches; and (2) assessing their gendered impacts. Our second objective is to apply this framework to a particular innovation – gender messaging via information and communications technologies (ICTs) – and explore how seed system interventions can be made more gender-transformative. METHODS We first reviewed the existing literature to develop a framework that defines gender-transformative and accommodative seed system interventions and their impacts. We then synthesized lessons learned from the application of this framework to case studies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda that used ICTs that contained gendered components. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We discuss how a gender-accommodative approach aims for gender considerations to improve seed systems, while a gender-transformative approach flips the goal around by aiming at progress toward gender equality through seed systems. We find growing evidence on the potential of gender-transformative seed systems interventions to influence positively the empowerment of women and also men, and to create more conducive gender norms, as shown by three case studies on ICT enablers. These case studies also show that accommodative and transformative approaches are often complementary. SIGNIFICANCE We introduce research questions that research and development practitioners can ask to develop accommodative or transformative approaches in seed system interventions, and show the potential of both approaches to progress toward gender equality. The case studies indicate the feasibility of gender-transformative, ICT-enabled seed system interventions, with clear indications of the potential for low-cost adaptation at scale. However, the transformative potential of these interventions requires careful consideration of messaging content, format, and context, as well as strategic public investment and strong political will.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.audienceCGIAR
dcterms.audienceDevelopment Practitioners
dcterms.audienceAcademics
dcterms.bibliographicCitationGaliè A., Kramer, B., Spielman, D.J., Kawarazuka, N., Rietveld, A. and Aju, S. 2025. Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications. Agricultural Systems 226: 104320en
dcterms.issued2025-05
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0
dcterms.publisherElsevier
dcterms.subjectgenderen
dcterms.subjectcropsen
dcterms.subjectresearchen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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