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https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/gov/technologies/cassava-seed-system-toolkit-capacity-building-strategies
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Cassava Seed System Toolkit: Capacity Building Strategies

From Knowledge to Yield — Empowering Cassava Seed Systems.

Building Capacity is a practical, strategy-driven toolkit designed to strengthen cassava seed systems by addressing the core capacity gaps faced by seed producers. It offers tailored training resources, business development tools, and partnership frameworks to improve technical skills, market access, and regulatory collaboration. By equipping actors with the right knowledge and support, Building Capacity enhances seed quality, boosts productivity, and promotes a sustainable, profitable future for cassava and other vegetatively propagated crops.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

  • Limited Technical Skills in Seed Production
    Many cassava seed producers lack the necessary agronomic knowledge and technical skills to produce high-quality, certified seeds. This affects seed quality, yields, and farmer trust.
  • Weak Business and Financial Management Capacity
    Seed producers often struggle to manage their operations profitably. They lack training in business planning, financial literacy, and market strategies, making it hard to scale or sustain their businesses.
  • Poor Access to Markets
    Many producers face challenges in identifying and reaching customers. They are not well-connected to market networks and lack strategies to promote and sell their seeds effectively.
  • Limited Collaboration with Regulatory Agencies
    Weak links with seed authorities and a poor understanding of certification processes hinder producers from getting their seeds verified and approved, which limits market acceptance.
  • Lack of Customized Training Programs
    Most training opportunities are generic and do not address the specific capacity gaps of different types of seed producers. There is a need for targeted, practical training based on real assessments.
  • Insufficient Financial and Investment Tools
    Producers have limited access to finance and struggle with budgeting, cost recovery, and investment planning. This keeps their operations small and vulnerable to shocks.
  • Absence of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
    There is no structured way to track the impact of training or improvements over time. Without clear metrics and feedback loops, it's hard to measure success or identify areas that need further support.

Solution

  • Tailored Training: Delivers custom training to improve seed producers' technical skills based on their actual needs.
  • Business Support: Equips producers with tools to manage their seed businesses better and increase profitability.
  • Improved Market Access: Helps producers understand market demand and reach more customers.
  • Regulatory Collaboration: Strengthens links with seed regulators to ensure compliance and improve certification.
  • Hands-On Demonstrations: Uses demo fields for practical learning and better application of seed production techniques.
  • Needs Assessment Tools: Provides methods to analyze capacity gaps and target training effectively.
  • Monitoring & Evaluation: Tracks progress and impact through clear indicators to guide future improvements.

Key points to design your project

The Building Capacity toolkit offers a structured, strategy-driven approach to strengthen cassava seed systems by addressing critical capacity gaps among seed producers. It provides tailored training resources, business tools, and partnership frameworks to enhance technical know-how, market readiness, and regulatory alignment. By fostering strong, skilled seed enterprises, the toolkit supports higher seed quality, improved productivity, and a more profitable, sustainable future for cassava and other vegetatively propagated crops.

To implement the Building Capacity toolkit effectively, follow these key steps:

  1. Identify and Profile Seed Producers
    Map out seed producers by type, scale, and location to understand their production capacity and quality assurance status.
  2. Conduct a Needs Assessment
    Assess the technical, business, and regulatory gaps faced by each seed producer to tailor capacity-building interventions.
  3. Design a Tailored Training Curriculum
    Develop training modules based on the assessment, addressing core issues like seed production techniques, business development, and compliance with seed regulations.
  4. Facilitate Practical Trainings
    Deliver structured training sessions through workshops and on-farm demonstration trials to provide hands-on learning and real-world application.
  5. Establish Strategic Partnerships
    Collaborate with research institutions, extension services, and regulatory agencies to align training content with national guidelines and ensure long-term support.
  6. Monitor Progress with Learning Indicators
    Use predefined metrics to track improvements in seed quality, business growth, and technical capacity across training cycles.
  7. Institutionalize a Train-the-Trainers Model
    Build a local network of trainers to scale knowledge transfer and ensure ongoing support for emerging seed entrepreneurs.

By following these steps, stakeholders can use the Building Capacity toolkit to develop resilient, inclusive seed systems that promote entrepreneurship, food security, and climate-smart agriculture.

28,800 USD

Capacity building for 1,350 farmers

3,000 USD

Training manual development

3,000 USD

Training Venue and other facilities

10,000 USD

Facilitators Expense

10,800 USD

Cost of printing the training materials

IP

Unknown

Countries with a green colour
Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour
Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour
Tested
Countries with a blue colour
Testing ongoing
Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Burkina Faso Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Côte d’Ivoire Eritrea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Cameroon Kenya Libya Liberia Madagascar Mali Malawi Morocco Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Zambia Senegal Sierra Leone Zimbabwe Somalia South Sudan Sudan South Africa Eswatini Tanzania Togo Tunisia Chad Uganda Western Sahara Central African Republic Lesotho
Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country Testing ongoing Tested Adopted
Ghana No ongoing testing Not tested Adopted
Nigeria No ongoing testing Not tested Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ Subtropic - warm Subtropic - cool Tropic - warm Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Sustainable Development Goal 1: no poverty
Goal 1: no poverty
Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Goal 2: zero hunger
Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth
Goal 8: decent work and economic growth
Sustainable Development Goal 12: responsible production and consumption
Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

  1. Identify Seed Producers
    Start by mapping who the seed producers are—by location, scale, and type of cassava or other vegetatively propagated crops they grow.
  2. Conduct a Needs Assessment
    Interview and assess producers to understand their skill gaps in technical areas, business development, and regulatory compliance.
  3. Develop a Customized Training Plan
    Based on the assessment, create a training program tailored to each producer group’s needs, using ready-to-go training materials provided in the toolkit.
  4. Organize Trainings and Field Demonstrations
    Deliver practical, hands-on training sessions—both classroom-style and on demonstration farms—covering seed production, quality assurance, and marketing.
  5. Link with Partners and Experts
    Engage with seed regulatory bodies, research institutions, and extension services to provide expert input and ensure training follows official guidelines.
  6. Monitor Progress and Results
    Use simple tracking tools and learning indicators from the toolkit to measure skill improvements, seed quality upgrades, and market performance over time.

Last updated on 2 May 2025