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Key Text Seeds and Rights: New Approaches to Post–war Agricultural Rehabilitation in Sierra Leone

Author: S Archibald and P Richards
Date: 2002
Size: 12 pages (212 KB)

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Summary

Can more equitable seed distribution contribute to fostering a culture of human rights as well as lead to agricultural rehabilitation? This study, by researchers from the aid agency CARE and Wageningen University, assesses seeds-and-tools programmes in 19 villages devastated during the civil war in central Sierra Leone. In these cases the targeting and distribution methods used by aid agencies denied assistance to those people it was intended for, exacerbating grievances and the threat of social disorder. An alternative, more inclusive, rights-based approach to seed distribution could lead to greater social inclusion and facilitate conflict resolution.

In agrarian communities in Africa, lack of access to basic resources - land, labour, water and seed - adds to grievances. Inequalities in seed distribution can kindle local animosities.

In the case studies, NGO’s seed targeting and distribution systems involved collaboration with village development committees (VDCs) who helped identify and register intended participants. Research revealed that the VDCs were generally comprised of elders and members of elites and that the most vulnerable, like women and youth, were not included. Some smaller, more remote settlements were missed in the registration exercises. There was misappropriation of resources by elite groups, lack of popular awareness of the law or citizens’ rights and no popular participation in political or decision-making processes. There was furthermore no transparency or accountability in governance or justice issues and no clarity on roles and responsibilities of local authorities.

Solutions to this were discussed and the following recommended:

The village development committee structure be honest and transparent, ensure equal distribution and participation, disseminate the correct information, act as a link between community and the agency and encourage villagers to do self-help projects.
The fieldworkers should become familiar with their beneficiaries, conduct honest registration, distribute according to registration, be transparent and deliver inputs at the right time for planting.
The community unites, organises and acts as watchdog for development projects. It encourages NGO workers.
The chiefs act as unbiased mediators between the community and the NGO workers and help to resolve conflict. They also act as the community’s representatives and help to promote development.

CARE has therefore designed and piloted a new, more inclusive, approach to seed procurement and distribution.

Under the pilot phase of CAREs Rights-based Approach to Food Security Project, village-level peace and rights days are held to allow villagers to discuss access to food as a human right and to discuss how community vulnerabilities led to war.
Every attempt is being made to register every settlement, however remote or temporary.
The project allows sufficient lead-time to organise the procurement of favoured seeds and to move away from bulk distribution to a mechanism that emphasises inclusiveness.
In symbolising new beginnings, the project hopes that seeds can be seen as not only a medium for encouraging debate but also could ultimately lead to a more inclusive and less vulnerable society.

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Source: Archibald, S. and Richards P., 2002, 'Seeds and Rights: New Approaches to Post–war Agricultural Rehabilitation in Sierra Leone', Disasters,vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 356-367