The report gives a summary of the proceedings of the international workshop on registration of farmers' varieties held in Entebbe Uganda between 4-7 December 2018. It provides a summary of experiences from several countries such as Bolivia, Ethiopia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and the European Union, where the registration of farmers' varieties is currently on going or being discussed. It offers valuable policy lessons for countries with regard to pertinent questions on registration and maintenance of farmers' varieties.
If properly managed, socio-ecological production landscapes and the ecosystem services they provide can contribute to the well-being of local communities, as well as to the achievement of the global conservation agenda and of other relevant development policies at the national level. However, many of these landscapes worldwide are often highly insecure due to unsupportive government policies, agencies, and lack of local collective action. By conducting a network analysis and participatory exercises with district officials and farmers in two communities from Rakai (Uganda) and Lushoto (Tanzania) districts, we studied local perceptions regarding (a) the contribution of natural resources to local farmers' livelihoods, and how these farmers, in turn, contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of these natural resources, (b) landscape threats and resilience, and (c) major causes of the identified and possible local solutions for mitigating them. The study shows that in the four communities there was very little communication among farmers and that the cooperation between farmers and local and district stakeholders was rather limited. Farmers did not seek much information concerning conservation and use of natural resources and very few of them were aware of the existence of government programs regulating natural resources management. In addition, the study sites were found to be experiencing a progressive degradation of their natural resources. We, therefore, conclude that the creation of spaces for informed, public discussion aimed at making the institutional context more favourable for the creation and coordination of community groups and at enhancing their interaction, would contribute to a wider movement of knowledge and social exchange. This, in turn, could ultimately result in the creation of local initiatives aimed at the conservation of natural resources.
This 26th dossier d'Agropolis is devoted to research and partnerships in agroecology. The French Commission for International Agricultural Research (CRAI) and Agropolis International, on behalf of CIRAD, INRAE and IRD and in partnership with CGIAR, has produced this new issue in the 'Les dossiers d'Agropolis international' series devoted to agroecology. This publication has been produced within the framework of the Action Plan signed by CGIAR and the French government on February 4th 2021 to strengthen French collaboration with CGIAR, where agroecology is highlighted as one of the three key priorities (alongside climate change, nutrition and food systems).