Food Policy, Volume 132 (2025), article 102860
This empirical article analyses the role of Community Seed Banks (CSBs) in farmer seed systems and household food security in Northern and Central Malawi. Using household and plot-level survey data (688 households, 1,600 plots) combined with historical climate data, the authors estimate associations between CSB participation, seed sourcing, plot-level crop yields (maize, groundnut, soybean), and household food security. Methods include propensity score matching and household–plot fixed effects models. Key findings: among CSB participants, CSBs supply roughly one-third of seeds for maize, groundnut and soybean; participants rely less on farm-saved seed than non-participants; plot-level yield associations are mixed (positive for some crops such as soybean, lower yields observed on maize plots with CSB seed); household participation in CSBs is positively associated with improved household food security indicators; and past exposure to higher mean temperatures and rainfall shortages correlates with a greater propensity to participate in CSBs. The paper highlights potential adaptive roles of CSBs but notes that results are associational and that causal links and comparative efficiency versus other seed-security approaches require further research.
Key topics: community seed banks, seed systems, food security, Malawi, seed sourcing, crop yields, climate adaptation, agroecology
