Agricultural genetic resources are the basis of human life. Diverse AGRs have been developed from time immemorial and maintained across regions by farming communities. However, diversity is now declining day by day mainly due to increased availability and cultivation of modern varieties. Multiple use values of local varieties have been superseded by single value high yield of modern varieties. The modern agricultural system has enormously enhanced the dependency of farmers on private seed companies for seeds and planting materials which has led farming communities to seek for the alternative, so that local diversity can easily be accessed, preserved and conserved. Community seed banks (CSB) have emerged as an alternative to preserve local diversity as well as to make seeds available to all farming communities.

CSB is a dynamic system of conservation and is considered as viable, effective and sustainable option for the conservation of AGRs. Community seed banks store, manage  and provide community members with seeds to use. Firstly Seeds are obtained from the farmers in the community and are then  selected and stored depending on the agreed storage system. They not only minimize farmers’ dependence on seed companies but also play crucial role to conserve the agro-biodiversity of their villages.  The seeds are collected from the farmers at first then they are stored in a community seed bank until they are needed for any task. These seed banks are considered as  the cornerstone for biodiversity preservation through community empowerment.

Community seed banks (CSBs) are the seed banks which are established in community for the exchange, better assess, enhance use and management of the seeds. CSBs are places of storage where indigenous seed varieties, landraces are preserved and managed by community members themselves. It has been essential instruments for conserving local varieties, restoring ‘lost’ varieties and sharing knowledge and expertise among farmers. So by the establishment of the CSBs the access of farmers towards the seed has been improved, the needs of the poor farmers have been met and also the traditional varieties which are going to be loss are again restored. CSB is a system of conservation and utilization of local genetic resources, carried out at local levels and run by the community members. The planting materials provided by CSBs to the farmers are considered an important approach to increase the production of crops at the household level and to conserve local landraces as well as improved varieties through continued utilization.   CSB is the indeed important for the conservation of the agricultural genetic resources. Farmers have direct access to information regarding landraces and improved varieties.  By the establishment of the CSB, the seeds that are going to be endangered and rare have been preserved so that it may be available at the time of need and also in the case of the some disasters the lack of the seeds for the agricultural production can be eliminated. Also it helps to maintain the diversity and food security in the country.

 Thus, by the establishment of the CSBs the access of farmers towards the seed has been improved, the needs of the poor farmers have been met and also the traditional varieties which are going to be loss are again restored. Community seed banks thus contribute to the maintenance of more genetic diversity in farmers’ fields by making seeds of both local and improved varieties available to farmers . Thus, ensuring farmer seed security and improving availability and accessibility of seeds through offering seeds community seed banks have been considered as a pivotal strategy for conserving local varieties, restoring ‘lost’ varieties and spreading knowledge and expertise among the farmer.

LIMITATIONS OF CSBs

Ø      Inadequate capacity and knowledge of farmers in seed production, marketing and managing seeds.

Ø       Lack of skilled manpower and inadequate technical skill to maintain seed quality.

Ø     Limited services to farmers groups and inadequate market linkage for farmers' seeds.

Ø      Highly dependency on CSBs for the seeds.

Ø     Inadequate focus on on-farm conservation of agro-biodiversity.

Ø   Limited knowledge on seed quality control and certification for the better market.

Ø      Inadequate coordination with government line agencies.

Ø     Poor record keeping.

Ø  Difficult in mobility due to wide geographical coverage to mobilize and support community in community seed bank activities

Ø    Increasing pressure on local varieties from high yielding varieties and improved technologies.

SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATION:

Ø     Capacity building on maintenance of seeds and crop breeding.

Ø      Adopt a mechanism to share skills and knowledge in establishing and maintaining community seed banks to interested communities, farmers’ organizations and other NGOs in and around the countries where they are based.

Ø     Multiply and produce farmers’ varieties for enhanced  availability of locally adapted seeds.

Ø    Integrate community seed banks in broader programs on agricultural biodiversity, where the local seed banks should serve as a storing place for results of participatory plant breeding and participatory better variety selection, and make such results accessible to farmers.

Ø  Include community seed banks in governments’ agricultural development strategies as a vehicle for adaptation to climate variability.

Ø     Redirect public subsidies from promoting modern varieties to fund the different activities for the establishment of community seed bank.