Community Safety Nets - Establishment of rice seed banks at village level
Type: Approaches
Creation: 2017-02-15 17:08 Updated: 2021-03-12 10:27
Compilers: Stefan Graf
Reviewers: Boris Orlowsky, Alexandra Gavilano, Judith Macchi
Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied
- Country: Cambodia
- Region/ State/ Province: Kampong Chhnang
- Further specification of location (e.g. municipality, town, etc.), if relevant: Different districts
- Map: View Map
Description of the SLM Approach
Short description of the Approach
A rice (seed) bank is a community safety net system where farmers can get both rice seeds for cultivation and rice for consumption from a communal storage house in order to increase their food security by guaranteeing: (1) year-round access to high quality seeds and rice for consumption, (2) access to seed and rice for consumption after an extreme weather event (drought, flood) and (3) improved quality of the planted seeds through the provision of new varieties better adapted to local conditions (e.g. fast maturing, floating rice)
Detailed description of the Approach
A rice (seed) bank is a system where farmers can get both high quality rice seeds for planting and rice for consumption from a communal storage house. Requirement for the use of the rice (seed) bank is that farmers pay back the purchased rice seeds or rice for food with a 20% interest rate after their next harvest. The bank is managed by a community council consisting of members of the village in collaboration with the local NGO Society for Community Development in Cambodia - SOFDEC.
The rice (seed) banks act as a community safety net in the villages to guarantee food security despite the threat of extreme weather events such as drought or flood. Because of the constant access to high quality seeds, farmers can sow a second time in case the first sowing was lost due to a drought or flood. Also, the communal storage of rice for consumption helps particularly poor farmer families with small plots in case they do not get enough yield on their field to feed the household.
Moreover, new rice varieties, which are better adapted to local conditions and which also perform in the case of extreme weather (fast maturing, floating rice) are introduced through the rice (seed) bank. Besides these new varieties (the result of research carried out by the Local Agricultural Research and Extension Center LAREC in collaboration with other research institutes) have higher yields and can also be sold at a better price on the market.
The need for a rice (seed) bank is decided in participatory manner by the village community. In case a bank is established it is managed by a community council of elected community members. The council is responsible for the storage, the distribution and supervises the back payment of the rice (seed). Through the collaboration between the Community Council and SOFDEC, new SLM Technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification can be promoted in the target villages.
The stages of implementation are as follows:
1. SOFDEC consults with the villagers about the aim and the need for a rice (seed) bank. Generally, rice banks are established if farmers express that there is a high exposure to extreme weather event, low food security and/or rice seeds are of bad quality (bad germination, low yields).
2. The decision about the establishment and implementation of a rice (seed) bank is made by the village community.
3. A Community Council is elected by the villagers and trained on their role and functioning of the rice (seed) bank by SOFDEC staff.
4. The communal storage is built. Building materials are provided by SOFDEC, the community contributes with labor.
5. SOFDEC provides a first stock of high quality rice seeds from LAREC and rice for consumption.
6. After the first harvest, the farmers pay back the seeds and rice consumed with a 20% interest rate.
7. SOFDEC monitors the functioning of the rice seed banks and takes a mediating role in case that problems between the community council and the village community arises.
Photos of the Approach
- 📍 Kampong Chhnang
- 📷 Stefan Graf
- 📍 Kampong Chhnang
- 📷 Christian Bobst
- 📍 Kampong Chhnang
- 📷 Christian Bobst