This post is by Noel Templer, Mercy Mutua, Eliud Birachi, Sylvia Kalemera, Kijana Ruhebuza, Benjamin Wimba, Radegunda Kessy, Eileen Nchanji, Patricia Onyango and Jean-Claude Rubyogo.

Map of the DRC showing bean and cassava production
Figure 1. Bean and Cassava Production Zones in DRC.

The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) comprises North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Maniema and Tanganyika. These provinces are populous and bear significant conflict effects, limiting access to livelihood improvement activities and increasing food insecurity risks. As in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, access to quality seed by smallholder farmers remains limited and is also associated with slow varietal turnover. Eastern DRC bears the brunt of wars and insecurity and faces multiple emergencies.

The region is also characterized by low infrastructure capacities and overstretched humanitarian responses. Production challenges, such as limited knowledge and information on seed, access and quality, abound for smallholder farmers. Despite this situation, the informal seed system has offered an alternative approach to seed delivery. There is a need to relook at seed delivery models in a fragile state and explore how to contribute to more resilient smallholder farmer livelihoods and businesses (formal, informal). Under the Feed the Future Global Supporting Seed Systems for Development activity, implemented by Catholic Relief Services and its partners, a study by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT/Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) sheds more light on the potential role of informal traders in driving seed security in a fragile state.

The study

The study was conducted in March-June 2021 to bridge the data gaps in DRC’s seed systems. It sought to establish what varieties are dominant, existing institutional bottlenecks and practical investment opportunities. In addition, it assessed the role of market pull in enhancing varietal and information access for market demanded varieties. These elements were all linked to a broader goal of driving better seed supply and access in developing business improvement and strategic plans that enhance the capacity of the informal seed system to respond to both farmer demands and emergency seed needs. The study focused on two crops, i.e., cassava and beans for seed (planting material) and grain (and other products). Beans and cassava are important crops for smallholder farmers in the DRC with 476,000 and about 5 million hectares, respectively, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2019. About 95% of beans in the DRC come from the North and South Kivu provinces.

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Alliance-PABRA) considered gendered aspects of grain, commodity market and seed systems characterization in North and South Kivu. Eight hundred and sixty-one traders were involved in this study.

Informal traders are a dynamic and crucial component

Different bean varieties in separate bags
Figure 2. Bean varieties for sale in eastern DRC. Photo Credit: Benjamin Wimba, INERA.

Data was collected and collated in collaboration with the Institut National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA). More than 484 bean (407 women) and 377 cassava (283 women) traders spread across North and South Kivu were interviewed. The majority of the traders were aged between 30 and 45 years; and were female — 84% for beans and 75% for cassava. Specifically, customers who bought beans mainly used it for food (87%). 

However, 34% bought beans for planting (female: 33.42% and male: 37.66%) while 37% bought for resale (female: 35.38% and male: 42.86%). The study did identify the informal seed traders (of bean and cassava planting material) as critical to information sharing among farmers. Prices for potential seeds (high-quality grain cleaned, sorted and treated by traders for sale) were at least 15-20% higher than grain destined for consumption. Traders (46.32%) who traded in the potential seed would get grain from specific areas/regions believed to grow in the local area or locally adapted. This observation was also similar for traders (43.29%) seeking specific varieties to buy and later sell to farmers for planting. The informal trader continues to be in a position of influence in variety dissemination — 18% of male traders, for example, were selling certified seed.

A research system that holds promise

Map of Eastern DRC showing survey locations
Figure 3. Survey locations in Eastern DRC. Photo Credit: Sylvia Kalemera, Alliance-PABRA.

INERA is the national agricultural system of the DRC. Its mandate includes variety development, testing and dissemination through the private sector. INERA collaborates with partners across the board — farmers, seed companies, international research centers and other government agencies, e.g., Service National des Semences (SENASEM).

Blanket strategies cannot be used to guarantee seed security — especially in fragile states, which often are unique in their needs. In a more tailored approach, the involvement of national research systems in providing these approaches offers promise by having local partners spearhead sustainability in seed production, availability and access.

The survey aimed to bridge the gaps in data on DRC seed systems (variety dominance, institutional bottlenecks and practical investment options). It also assessed the role of market pull to enhance sustainable varietal and information access for market demanded varieties and critical information to drive better seed supply. In this study, Alliance-PABRA documents the need for structured collaborations between the private sector, research actors, informal traders and farmers to meet the sustainable seed delivery goal.

Two models proposed for testing include a formal (INERA) to informal seed supply system that allows INERA and Alliance-PABRA to provide technical support to the pre-identified, informal traders and local seed and planting material producers. The second model, a complete formal seed supply model, involves INERA, formal seed companies, decentralized seed shops (agro-dealers) and reaches farmers (or informal traders). These models can spur growth in improved seed uptake, especially when nurtured to realize their full potential in growing the seed supply systems that can also support humanitarian responses.

Seed (and planting material) of improved varieties are available through the informal systems in the two Kivus. The majority of bean traders are comprised of retailers (73%), collectors (33%) and wholesalers (7%). It is important to note that this study found that female retailers (77.89%) dominate retail trade compared to male traders (48.05%). Their male counterparts were at aggregation level (53.25%) and export trade (14.29%) compared to 29.24% and 2.21%, respectively, by the female traders. In the cassava businesses, varieties under formally certified planting materials were released under INERA, with support from FAO, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture and other partners (Sawa Sawa, Mapendo, Naro-Cas1, among others). The results further showed that the sale of certified planting materials was mainly to nongovernmental organizations and other development organizations used primarily on aid work in the provinces. Male traders dominated the cassava cuttings trade for planting purposes.

Involving women and youth in business opportunity creation could help mitigate seed insecurity

Results from the study indicate that women appear to be trapped in very small-scale businesses, involving both younger and older women. This comparison is against their male counterparts of the same age. It is worrying that these women appear not to have grown their businesses as they age. Specifically, most women could not break out of earning less than $75 per month from their businesses. Furthermore, the lower participation of women and youth in the overall potential seed and planting material trade puts at risk the wide-scale potential benefits on livelihoods.

Additionally, where they were active, their ability to make sales like their male (and older) counterparts was diminished due to multiple reasons, including lack of access to capital and business skills. These observations imply a need to support women and female youth grow their businesses by overcoming barriers to resource access. However, there is a need to partner more with all key stakeholders to enhance and improve the use of quality seed more systematically and professionally. The lack of regular training on seed business and multiple taxes was a critical concern raised as impediments to unlocking benefits for the marginalized.

There are ways to build the impact of small and large businesses in fragile states

Cassava tubers for sale in eastern DRC.
Figure 4. Cassava tubers for sale in eastern DRC. Photo Credit: Benjamin Wimba, INERA.

The study in the eastern DRC presents business options that may help grow businesses in a fragile state. The survey results indicate significant potential when matched with investments. Two seed supply models have been proposed for testing and can yield positive long-term effects on several areas. These opportunities created are for men, women and youth and are along the commodity supply chains. Specifically, activities that intensify grain and food cassava production enterprises are preferable. When supported by sufficient extension training, including climate advisories, they will enable more commodities to reach markets at desirable qualities. They will raise demand for both informal and formal seeds and planting materials. Access to quality and sufficient quantities of seed is essential in enhancing the production of demanded varieties.

Investments in the multiplication of informal seed and planting material, including their supply, are critical for producers and informal traders. The potential lies in the possibility of reducing the cost of good-quality seed for producers. Both men and women would engage in seed multiplication at individual, group or cooperative levels. Similarly, grain and cassava enterprises can be grown for local and regional markets. Survey participants (male and female) listed these business options and hoped there could be ways to support them through inputs, credit, transport and market linkages.

The businesses include aggregation enterprises, linking directly with producers and traders. The government, working with other stakeholders, needs to encourage bean and cassava value-added processing. The value-addition component is an important opportunity for female traders and, potentially, youth. There has been traction in the region for processors of bean composite flours, precooking of beans, cassava starch extraction and the making of chips and flour. Cassava leaves are a significant product consumed both within and without the provinces. Specifically, Sawa Sawa, NARO-Cas1, Mayombe, Mapendo, Kambekisayi and Ilona are preferred for their leaves and flour. The cassava value-addition discussion could be opened to the greatest extent possible. 

Finally, digital enterprise services could help open the next frontier for last-mile rural communities. Several programs are currently pegging their success on a growing digital footprint in the DRC and a plan to overlay interventions with training and capacity building. There is a great need to see producers sustainably link to traders — their partnerships with service providers in digital payment solutions, extension and communication will be pivotal for growth. Engagements with humanitarian organizations, especially those seeking resilience in these states, are essential to the overall process.

Conclusion

  1. The Kivus constitute a significant food production hub in the DRC. They can further contribute, sustainably, to the country’s food situation and humanitarian efforts if the capacity of informal seed traders is enhanced.
  2. There is a need to support women and female youth and their male counterparts (elderly and male youth) to overcome barriers to resource access and grow their seed businesses.
  3. Collaboration with nongovernmental organizations and aligning their seed programming will help address systemic challenges facing the actors and build more sustainable seed systems.
  4. Proposed actions, including seed delivery (business) models, as explained above, and their capacity to unlock the potential in youth and women, seed traders as in meeting smallholder seed needs will be critical. These models derive their importance from the observations of existing high potential to grow incomes and jobs from bean and cassava enterprises and across the gender and youth dynamic.
  5. The study notes the need to promote single varieties by information and extension services and expand market opportunities by strengthening platforms.
  6. Supporting women to break barriers to business growth, working closely with nongovernmental organizations to address systemic challenges facing the actors beyond humanitarian aid and policy interventions can help shield traders from security and infrastructure challenges.