Addressing seed security in disaster response - linking relief with development

This volume contains eight case studies managed by CIAT, CRS, and CARE Norway in a project entitled, Assisting disaster-affected and chronically stressed communities in East, Central and Southern Africa: Focus on small farmer systems. The case studies were undertaken to evaluate various forms of emergency seed aid and to couple these with analyses of the broader seed and crop systems. The objectives were to understand if and how vulnerable farmers are being helped by the kinds of assistance they receive —and how to move forward on improving practice

Transformation, adaptation and development: relating concepts to practice

In recent years there has been a growing number of academic reviews discussing the theme of transformation and its association with adaptation to climate change. On the one hand this has stimulated exchange of ideas and perspectives on the parameters of transformation, but it has also given rise to confusion in terms of identifying what constitutes a non-incremental form of adaptation on the ground. What this article aims to do instead is help researchers and practitioners relate different interpretations of transformation to practice by proposing a typological framework for categorising forms of change that focuses on mechanisms and objectives. It then discusses how these categorisations link to the broader conceptions and critiques noted above, with the idea that this will enable those who seek to analyse or plan adaptation to better analyse what types of action are potentially constitutive of transformation. In doing so, it should equally assist in the identification and specification of critical questions that need to be asked of such activity in relation to issues of sustainability and equity. As the term transformation gains ground in discussions of climate change adaptation, it is necessary to take a step back, review quite what commentators mean when they use the word, and consider the implications on people, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, of “doing” or promoting transformation in its different forms

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

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 in itself 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

Relief seed assistance in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has been a recipient of food or seed aid since the 1990/91 drought, considered one of the worst in 100 years. At present, as in the past, interventions aimed at agricultural rehabilitation and recovery have focused on direct seed distribution ("seeds and tools"). While these interventions are being modified to better address the needs of farmers recovering from disaster, they are still based upon the premise that the emergency has resulted in a loss of seed and other assets, and there is a need to supply them. This study of relief seed intervention in Zimbabwe addresses a number of issues: (1) the effectiveness of the past agricultural recovery response to disasters, (2) knowlegde of farmers' seed systems, (3) changes in seed systems as influenced by relief seed distributions, and (4) the cause of the continual need for seed assistance

Relief seed assistance in Ethiopia

For more than 30 years, the international community has been assisting Ethiopia in recovering from recurring disasters. A continual need for emergency agricultural assistance as a response to droughts, conflict snd famine has led many to question the effectiveness and sustainability of the current interventions and to search for alternative approaches. This paper discribes the approaches used for agricultural recovery in Ethopia, including problem diagnosis, design and implementation of interventions and evaluation. Furthermore, lessons from one specific case, based on fieldwork in East and West Hararghe are presented to assess the need for and appropriateness of the approach used

Alexis Wound Retractor for Radical Cystectomy: A Safe and Effective Method for Retraction

Surgical site infection rates remain a common postoperative problem that continues to affect patients undergoing urologic surgery. Our study seeks to evaluate the difference in surgical site infection rates in patients undergoing open radical cystectomy when comparing the Bookwalter vs. the Alexis wound retractors. After institutional review board approval, we performed a retrospective chart review from February 2010 through August 2017 of patients undergoing open radical cystectomy with urinary diversion for bladder cancer. We then stratified the groups according to whether or not the surgery was performed with the Alexis or standard Bookwalter retractor. Baseline characteristics and operative outcomes were then compared between the two groups, with the main measure being incidence of surgical site infection as defined by the CDC. We evaluated those presenting with surgical site infections within or greater than 30 postoperatively. Of 237 patients who underwent radical cystectomy with either the Alexis or Bookwalter retractor, 168 patients were eligible to be included in our analysis. There was no statistical difference noted regarding surgical site infections (SSIs) between the two groups; however, the trend was in favor of the Alexis (3%) vs. the Bookwalter (11%) at less than 30 days surgery. The Alexis wound retractor likely poses an advantage in reducing the incidence in surgical site infections in patients undergoing radical cystectomy; however, multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are suggested for further elucidation