AGRICULTURE

Visualizing Information on Seeds Using Technology in Africa

Supporting Seed Sector Development in Africa.

Why Seed Systems Monitoring is Necessary for Food Security
For much of sub-Saharan Africa, rising populations combined with climate change and other environmental factors are threatening food and nutritional security. Looking at improving seed quality is one factor that can help, but decision-makers need information on where and how seed quality and availability are lagging. The timely availability of high-quality, affordable seeds is critical to improving food security, resilience, and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Africa. Specifically, monitoring seed systems enables us to diagnose gaps and prioritize needs for food security.
About The African Seed Access Index

In 2019, The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) and DG launched a partnership with the aim of helping decision-makers, the public sector, development partners, private sector businesses, and farmers visualize and use data to support a fully functional formal seed system.

The TASAI-VISTA Dashboard was developed after an initial assessment of stakeholders in the seed sector. Along with the public dashboard, DG and TASAI developed survey tools for internal use by TASAI researchers, which allowed the team to digitize their data collection and data validation process. Data collected through the new tool was published on the dashboard after final validation.

DG worked with TASAI to ensure that the indicators are gender-sensitive and to map stakeholders to better understand and meet user needs. DG also advised TASAI on monitoring and evaluation plans, administrative systems, and future funding. By digitizing the data processes, creating an actionable dashboard, and supporting TASAI as the organization grew, DG diagnosed information use gaps, ensured a sustainable impact on the larger seed system, and improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

IMPACT

DG integrated digital survey tools into TASAI’s data collection and validation process to more efficiently visualize seed data. We digitized the collection and validation of 21 indicators across 20 countries, transforming lengthy PDF reports into interactive visualizations and a public dashboard that grants stakeholders access to high-quality data to assess seed quality, availability, accessibility, and price in 17 African countries.