SeedChange (formerly USC-Canada)
Community Seed Banking - Timor Leste
First Phase: 2015 to 2019
Second Phase 2019 to 2022
Fadabloko and Holorua in Aileu
Batarra and Abat On in Manatutu
Community lead seed security assessments which set the base for 4 community seed banks: on in each of Fadabloko, Holorua, Batarra and Abat oan.
Farmers manage the CSBs, document varieties and set of local seed resource catalogues. Diversity block are planted each year so that farmer research teams can document and clarify all the farmer desired characteristics of each variety
TEAM LEADER: Leonora da Costa noraconceicao@raebia.org
Past program
Project Title: Seeds of Survival Program (SoS)
Project Term: ongoing since 1997 to 2015
Project Sites:
Municipality: Manatuto
Centre Administrative: Laclubar
Villages: Manelima, Batara
Centre Administrative: Laclo
Village: Uma Kaduak
Municipality: Aileu
Centre Administrative: Remexio
Villages: Tulateqeu, Faturasa, Fadabloko, Hautoho
Project Activities:
+ Promotion of sustainable agriculture and sustainable livelihoods
+ Promotion of agrobiodiversity to ensure environmental and economic security on community and household level
Achievements and Impacts:
+ Strengthening of our farmer group, due to increasing farmer capacities in leadership and farming techniques; particular attention has been given to the inclusion of women and youth
+ Establishment of community field gene bank in all villages involved in the project
+ Establishment of two community seed banks
+ Identified Champion Farmers in the village
+ Several hectares of farming land have been conserved through construction of terraces, controlled grazing, reduction of shifting cultivation, reduced burning activities and controlled cutting of forests as well as compost production and application
+ Improved soil quality
+ Increased diversity of crops at house hold and community level
+ Elimination of the hunger period
+ Income generation and diversification
+ Replication of our activities by the neighbouring communities
+ Healthy, strong and united communities are equipped with the knowledge and resilience to combat the effects of a harsh environment and the impacts of climate change