Senegal struggles to safeguard seed quality

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Quality seeds can mean the difference between a great harvest and a poor crop yield, particularly for small-scale rural farmers who often lack access to other vital agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, motorised farming equipment and pesticides. Seeds are responsible for 30 percent of the harvest, according to the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA).

"Seed quality in Senegal - and throughout Africa - is a big problem, particularly in the face of persistent food insecurity," said Ebrima Sonko, Oxfam America's country director in Senegal. "They need it [quality seeds] to survive. If you start with bad seeds, the cycle of bad harvests continues. So if you want to break this cycle of food crises, which we've seen in recent years, good-quality, certified seeds are quite important."

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