The links between food security and seed security: facts and fiction that guide response

McGuire, S. and Sperling, L. (2011) The links between food security and seed security: facts and fiction that guide response. Development in Practice, 21 (4-5). pp. 493-508.

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Abstract

The food-price crisis has led to assumptions that food-price rises are due to inadequate food production, and that such food insecurity is linked to seed insecurity. Hence, in response to high food prices, seed resources worth hundreds of millions of US dollars are being shipped into vulnerable farming systems across the world. This article examines the evidence for linking food security to seed security, particularly in acute contexts, and shows how the challenges facing security features of availability, access, and utilisation are markedly different when assessing food-security and seed-security scenarios. The need for sharper thinking about (a) seed-security strategy per se and (b) the causal links between food security and seed security raises questions about supply-side responses which may wrongly identify both the problem and the solution. The article closes by suggesting ways to refine seed-security goals which can provide more refined strategies for addressing food-security needs.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Globalisation; Labour and livelihoods
Author Affiliation: Senior Lecturer in Natural Resources, School of International Development, University of East Anglia
Subjects: Social Sciences > Agricultural Economics
Divisions: General
Depositing User: Sandhya Gir
Date Deposited: 25 Jul 2011 07:50
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2012 03:25
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2011.562485
URI: http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/2464

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