CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow initiative, through its Inclusive Delivery approach, focuses on ensuring that improved, climate-resilient, and nutritious crop varieties developed by CGIAR and its partners reach smallholder farmers, particularly women and marginalized groups. Despite advancements in breeding, many farmers still depend on old, low-yielding varieties and poor-quality seeds that are vulnerable to droughts, pests, and diseases. Inclusive Delivery aims to bridge this gap by strengthening equitable and dynamic seed systems that provide access to quality seeds suited to local needs and markets. The approach works closely with national and regional institutions to contextualize seed design and deployment.
Unlike traditional linear seed dissemination models, Inclusive Delivery adopts a holistic, ecosystem-based approach involving farmers, seed producers, traders, regulators, NGOs, and private firms. It emphasizes co-designing demand-driven and gender-responsive solutions that ensure equitable participation across the seed value chain. Research efforts also focus on positioning new varieties within specific market segments, showcasing their economic benefits, and developing evidence-based business cases to attract investment.
Inclusive Delivery operates through four main pillars. Position focuses on understanding farmer demand and aligning breeding outputs with market needs. Deploy enhances the efficiency and scale of quality seed production and delivery. Track generates data to monitor varietal adoption and seed quality use. Power fosters supportive policies and partnerships, promoting youth and women’s participation in seed entrepreneurship. Together, these components ensure that innovations from CGIAR’s breeding programs reach farming communities effectively and sustainably.
Partnership is at the core of Inclusive Delivery’s work. Rather than distributing seeds directly, CGIAR collaborates with national governments, seed companies, farmer cooperatives, and NGOs to build resilient systems. Strategic partnerships with organizations like the International Seed Federation (ISF), Africa Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) facilitate technology transfer, quality assurance, and policy harmonization. Digital tools and data-driven platforms further help in aligning supply and demand within the seed market.
Gender equality and social inclusion are deeply embedded in the Inclusive Delivery model. Through initiatives such as Youth and Women Quality Centers (YWQC), the program empowers women and youth by equipping them with skills in seed production, marketing, and leadership. This integrated approach not only strengthens seed systems but also creates opportunities for traditionally excluded groups, reinforcing social and economic equity.
Inclusive Delivery aims to create lasting systems change by making seed sectors more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. Notable successes include Zambia’s Demand-Led Seed System (DLSS), which boosted bean seed production significantly, and Kenya’s policy reforms for vegetatively propagated crops like cassava and sweet potato. These examples demonstrate how aligning innovation, policy, and community engagement enhances productivity and resilience.
Ultimately, Inclusive Delivery serves as the crucial “last mile” of CGIAR’s breeding pipeline—connecting research outputs to real-world impact. By ensuring that high-quality seeds reach farmers everywhere, the initiative advances multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including zero hunger, gender equality, and climate resilience. As Christopher Ojiewo emphasizes, “no food security without seed security — and better seeds mean better lives, but only if they reach everyone.”
