SeedTracker: Digital tool for Strengthening Seed Governance and Certification Systems

Build an efficient seed system!

This mobile and web-based platform captures and monitors every step of the seed production cycle—from registration and inspection to certification and sale. It is fully adaptable to various country contexts and operates both online and offline. It enables decentralized seed inspection (e.g., Quality Declared Seed), supports gender inclusion, and creates a georeferenced, centralized seed database for program design and M&E.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

For youth, Seed Tracker can open up job opportunities, such as becoming trained facilitators, trainers, or technicians, furthering rural economic growth.

The poor: Positive medium

It could potentially improve their seed management practices.

Women: Positive high

Its provides women with better access to high-quality seeds, helping them increase their productivity and income

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Since it is a digital tool, it is adoptable in all zones

Farmer climate change readiness: Moderate improvement

It improves farmer knowledge on access to climate resilient varieties and where to access.

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

As a digital tool, it reduces the dependency on paper use and the need for travel to access fields for certification and other purposes. However, proper assessment is due.

Problem

Informal seed systems dominate: Many smallholder farmers rely on uncertified seed due to weak formal systems.
Exclusion of women and youth: Current seed systems are not always accessible or inclusive.
Inefficient data systems: Development partners often lack the tools to collect, manage, and use seed data for impact measurement.
Poor adoption of improved varieties: Without traceable and trustworthy systems, farmers hesitate to invest in new seed types.

Solution

Complex and slow certification processes: Businesses lose time and opportunities due to manual paperwork and delays.
Poor market visibility: It’s difficult for seed entrepreneurs to showcase their certified products or connect directly with buyers.
Inventory mismanagement: Lack of reliable tracking can lead to stock losses or oversupply.
Low customer confidence: Buyers often lack assurance about seed quality and origin.

Key points to design your program

This technology has demonstrated success in various contexts, including supporting sustainable agricultural practices and contributing to the achievement of key development goals such as climate resilience, gender equality, and inclusive economic growth.

Development institutions can leverage the Cassava SeedTracker to ensure transparency in seed sourcing, provide farmers with access to high-quality seeds, and promote sustainable agricultural practices that align with international development frameworks.

Key Activities to adopt this technology:

Train Field Teams and Stakeholders: Organize training sessions for field agents, agricultural extension workers, and program officers to ensure proper understanding and use of the technology. This training should cover aspects such as how to input and access data, interpret results, and integrate the technology into seed distribution channels.
Collaborate with Technology Providers: Partner with the entities offering the Cassava SeedTracker technology to receive ongoing technical support, training, and implementation monitoring. Key players include agricultural technology companies, NGOs, and government bodies with expertise in seed quality and traceability.
Integrate Technology into Seed Distribution Programs: Use the technology to monitor and trace seeds distributed to farmers, ensuring that only verified, high-quality seeds are provided. This will improve accountability and support better seed management practices.
Monitor and Evaluate Impact: Establish mechanisms to track the technology’s impact on seed quality, farmer productivity, and food security. Utilize the data collected by the SeedTracker to assess performance and inform future interventions.
Support Data Collection for Policy Advocacy: Leverage the data generated by the technology to support advocacy for stronger seed policies, sustainable agricultural practices, and resource allocation for seed sector development.

By adopting Cassava SeedTracker technology, development institutions will be able to improve the effectiveness of their agricultural programs, contribute to sustainable food systems, and drive positive outcomes across gender, climate, and development goals.

5,000 USD

Minimum cost

-

Not yet estimated

IP

No formal IP rights

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

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–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.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Enhances food security by scaling access to high-quality seed.

Goal 5: gender equality

Empowers women and youth to participate in the seed value chain.

Goal 13: climate action

Supports climate adaptation through better planning and resilient varieties.

Goal 17: partnerships for the goals

Fosters collaboration between public and private actors using a common digital platform.

Register: Seed producers and inspectors create secure user accounts on the platform (web or mobile).
Add Seed Fields: Producers register their seed fields, crop variety, and planting date.
Schedule Inspections: Field inspectors use the app to schedule visits and record inspection data.
Monitor Progress: Users can track seed development, quality inspections, and certification status in real time.
Ensure Traceability: Seed lots are traced from planting to distribution using the platform's georeferenced data.
Access Data Offline: Users can operate the tool without internet and sync data when reconnected.
Use Dashboard: Regulators, producers, and buyers can view maps, trends, and seed inventories via a centralized dashboard.
Promote and Connect: Certified seed producers can showcase their inventory and connect with buyers directly through the platform.