Food Security and Sustainable Seed Supply in Timor-Leste: Formal and Informal Seed Systems (Part 1)

Abstract

This In Brief is the first in a two-part series on seed systems in Timor-Leste and research carried out for the Seeds of Life program. It describes the context of seed supply in TimorLeste. The second part will detail recent developments and explore the findings of the research. Seeds of Life was a program designed to improve food security through the supply of improved germplasm for staple food crops. It involved the collaboration of the Australian and Timor-Leste governments — through the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries — and NGOs and international research bodies. Phase 1 of Seeds of Life started in 2000 with work on variety selection. This was extended in Phase 2 in 2005 with work on seed production and distribution. Phase 3 operated in all districts of Timor-Leste including the Special Administrative Region of Oequsse and built on the scientific results and technical capacity of the first two phases. The program was concluded in June 2016 with the establishment of 70 commercial seed producers to produce quality seed for domestic needs. Seeds of Life maintained a core focus on increasing yields by selecting and distributing improved varieties of superior genetic quality (see ACIAR 2016). Show more