March 15, 2023
By Anicha Diemkoudre
In conversation with Marthe Diallo, Senior Advisor at KIT
Marthe Diallo is senior advisor at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and supports the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) project in Mali and Niger, called ISSD Sahel. I caught up with Marthe to discuss her experience of working on the ISSD Sahel project, the activities she is most proud of, and the lessons learned. This article is part of a larger series on seed sector projects in Africa and Asia, which have been written for SeedNL’s community of practice. The series aims to present Dutch seed sector activities and provides lessons learned on what works and what doesn’t within seed sector development.
Please, tell me more about the ISSD Sahel project
“ISSD Sahel is a four-year programme (2021-2024) that has been implemented in Niger and Mali and is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ISSD/Sahel has co-developed and implemented by a consortium of four organisations: IFDC (programme lead), Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT). The project was initiated on the back of a pilot of ISSD Africa which took place in 2011, in which Mali was also one of the focus countries. However, the project took place during a period of political instability and therefore, it took some time for Mali to become eligible for funding. As a result, it was only in 2021 that ISSD Sahel was launched, and Mali became eligible for funding.”
What has been the focus of the project?
“Within ISSD Sahel we focus on putting together and creating synergies between the formal and informal seed systems in Mali and Niger. Besides this, we also focus on stimulating entrepreneurship in seed sector development and try to create linkages between local seed businesses and Dutch seed companies. With our activities, we contribute towards food and nutrition security and higher incomes for smallholder farmers, with a special focus on youth and women.“
What are the main objectives for your project?
“Our main objectives are to ensure that early generation seeds are available, as well as to promote the production of high-quality seeds. Furthermore, the project aims to market these quality seeds so that they reach the end user farmer. The project also works on the regulatory environment, and in specific seed quality insurance and regional integration.”
What is the specific role and added value of Dutch partners in your project?
“What makes ISSD Sahel unique is the active linkage we try to broker between Dutch and Sahelian seed companies. Most vegetable and potato seeds are imported from the Netherlands, but there is limited follow-up on how these seeds are used by producers. Therefore, we’re trying to build linkages between Dutch and local companies through partnership building. If Dutch companies want to have a presence in Niger or Mali, we can link them up with well-organised Sahelian seed enterprises. Similar partnerships already exist in Burundi and Uganda where the system has been working effectively with more and more partnerships emerging between African and Dutch seed companies.”
What has been your biggest success so far?
“We have developed a Seed Sector Road Map for the Sahel region, together with a wide range of seed sector stakeholders. The national authorities of Niger and Mali really appreciate this Road Map as it provides clear guidance on seed sector priorities of the future. The authorities have expressed much appreciation for this initiative and its inclusive process.”
How does the project contribute to SDG 5: Gender equality through seed sector interventions?
“Gender is an important theme in the ISSD project, and as such we aim to contribute to SDG 5: Gender Equality. For all activities we are aiming for at least 30% of the beneficiaries to be women. In the Sahel this is not easy due to the division of gender roles within the region. Women are reluctant to be involved in the seed sector, because socially, it is not considered a sector for women. We try to encourage women that seed business is not only for men and through our project activities we include women as much as we can. For young people we promote mobile seed selling points and local seed expert training. These are activities that are more likely to attract youth since it demands a lot of travelling to different places and hence flexibility. Young people are also involved in seed inspection services which also require frequent field visits.”
What would you have done differently in retrospect if you could start all over again?
“If we could do things differently, I would have proposed that all consortium partners are allocated their own budget in relation to their activities. KIT does not have its own field activities budgeted, but instead provides advice. Therefore, it is difficult to carry out additional work in the field that might be necessary. This on the other hand could have made the project more flexible and impactful for the beneficiaries. As a result, I would like to have a different budget allocation, in line with the activities, so that we can create more impact.”
What else have you learned during the different project phases?
“I would have slightly changed the project’s targets to make them more realistic. When matching targets within the real context and available resources, one can develop strategies that are realistic and deliver activities that can have long lasting effects. This approach is far better than having unrealistic targets that are almost impossible to achieve.”
What advice would you give to other seed sector project implementers?
When designing a project, it is very important to firstly identify the context in which the project is going to be implemented, as as well as getting to know the actors you’re going to work with. Taking that into account, you can build on previous achievements and knowledge, instead of starting completely from scratch.”
For you personally, what are some of the reasons that you enjoy working in the seed sector?
“The reason I enjoy working on seed sector projects in the Sahel region is primarily because of my passion for seeds. After the design phase of the project, I was hired as a local consultant to do the baseline study. In addition, both my Master’s and PhD research were focussed on seeds, so you could say that I fell in love with the seed sector back then. After doing the baseline study, I started working as a senior consultant for the ISSD project. I also very much enjoy being in contact with different stakeholders in the field.”
Want to know more about ISSD Sahel? Visit the website: https://ifdc.org/projects/integrated-seed-sector-development-in-the-sahel-project-issd-sahel/
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