Seed Savers Network (SSN) is a grassroots organisation that has been working since 2009 to
conserve agrobiodiversity and strengthen community seed systems to improve food and nutritional
security. Through various initiatives, SSN has empowered smallholder farmers to manage their
own seeds, promoting biodiversity and food sovereignty. One of the most critical challenges faced
by smallholder farmers in Kenya is the limited access to resilient and diverse seed varieties. Many
of these varieties, despite being registered by public research institutions, remain uncommercialized and inaccessible to the farmers who need them most. To address this, SSN developed a participatory model that provides a framework for accessing registered but uncommercialized seed varieties. This model was co-created with stakeholders,including farmers, breeders, policymakers, and civil society representatives, ensuring it meets the needs of smallholder farmers. Through comprehensive mapping, SSN identified a variety of uncommercialized crops – 80% of registered varieties remain unavailable, which significantly impacts farmers’ productivity and biodiversity conservation efforts. Key varieties identified include sweet potatoes, millet and indigenous vegetables that are drought-resistant and nutritionally rich, highlighting the potential for enhancing food security and climate resilience.