Afghan Seed Code of Conduct Reached

June 4, 2002

A "code of conduct" governing seed production, distribution and importation in emergency situations has been reached among international and national organizations and donors in Afghanistan, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced. The guidelines, which were agreed following three days of discussions in the Afghan capital, Kabul, are aimed at supporting local agricultural systems and markets, as well as the genetic resources of Afghanistan, all of which are threatened by the unregulated import of untested, and possibly useless seeds.

A workshop, Future Harvest Consortium Workshop on Guiding Principles for Seed Sector Interventions, was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Center for Agricultural Research for Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It brought together aid organizations and government agencies involved in seed production, procurement and distribution on both long-term and emergency bases.

The code of conduct stipulates that seed produced or supplied in an emergency situation should be of a quality required by local farmers. It should not distort the local seed systems and it should be aimed at building the foundation for a sustainable seed supply system in the future. As much as possible, says the code, seed should be produced locally to ensure its adaptation to the local environment -- a crucial point given Afghanistan's varied landscape and agriculture.

It will act as a framework for cooperation essential to avoid competition and duplication among humanitarian agencies, ensuring that short-term measures aimed at alleviating immediate, post-war food insecurity should not jeopardize the long-term ability of Afghan farmers to achieve food self-sufficiency and establish export markets in cereal and high-value crops such as pistachios and fruit.