In Ghana, farmers can generally get hold of just a few varieties of Bambara groundnut to plant. But this is beginning to change, thanks to a new way of connecting farmers with seeds from the national genebank. This is giving farmers a chance to grow varieties that may be more suited to their needs and farms, and encourages the cultivation of a key local crop that has been neglected for too long.
Ghana is far from unique in this. A new study in the international journal Plant Genetic Resources shows that, across Africa, when farmers work directly with genebanks, their options expand dramatically .
The collaborative approach described in the paper is powerful. Farmers join “germplasm user groups” run by the national genebank, which gives them access to seeds of different crop varieties (a.k.a. “germplasm”) from the collection it maintains and helps them test them on their farm. They then give feedback on the germplasm’s performance to genebank staff, which helps future users. They also share seeds with their neighbors.
The study found that, on average, each farmer passed seeds to four others, multiplying the impact across communities. About 90 percent of farmers in user groups said their access to crop diversity improved, giving them more tools to face drought, pests and extreme weather. This contrasts with the more usual way national genebanks work, which is to wait for requests for seeds, mainly from researchers and plant breeders.
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Beyond improved access to seeds, farmers also reported additional benefits from participating in the germplasm user groups, such as greater awareness of genebank activities and more sharing of knowledge and opinions with genebank staff, extension workers, and fellow farmers.
“Unlocking farmer access to genebank collections offers a highly efficient way for public investment to support local resilience,” concluded the authors of the study. This participatory approach was introduced by the Crop Trust’s Seeds for Resilience project, which has been strengthening national genebanks in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This work can improve livelihoods, especially in remote areas,” said Bisola Khadijat Oladimeji, who helped evaluate the success of the germplasm user groups in Nigeria.
Youth Measuring Impacts
Oladimeji was part of the Genebank Impacts Fellowship Program, which has provided young professionals with hands-on experience in evaluating the impacts of genebanks and building resilient food systems since 2018.
In 2024, the program expanded its focus to document the impacts of national genebanks and their local partners in promoting farmers’ use of crop diversity.
Drawing on surveys and interviews with smallholders across five countries, the study showed that germplasm user group members were 47 percent more likely than non-members to see genebanks as an important source of seeds. Almost all the user group members surveyed predicted that more and more farmers will use genebanks as seed sources after their experience .
Seeing Success
“This study shows that the user group activity was mutually beneficial,” said Michael Bolton, the Crop Trust manager of the Seeds for Resilience project. “Farmers learned that genebanks can be a source of different varieties. In turn, the genebanks strengthened links with actual and potential users and realized that working with farmers offers a shortcut to valuable information on the performance of their seeds under diverse conditions.”
The fellows were able to see the results of the user group model in real life, with several countries reporting a significant pickup in seed performance.
- Ghana – Genebank-supplied seeds for indigenous leafy vegetables and Bambara groundnut outperformed traditional varieties by up to 67 percent in harvest time.
- Kenya – Genebank seed requests from women increased fivefold under this innovative model.
- Zambia – Higher levels of crop diversity for sorghum, cassava and Bambara groundnut were reported among user group members.
- Nigeria – Lost varieties of crops such as yellow sorghum were revived, with 60 percent of user group farmers now growing more varieties.
- Ethiopia – The share of user-group farmers requesting genebank seed more than once a year jumped from 44 to 82 percent, and 100 percent accessed seed at least annually (up from 70 percent).
Making a Difference
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“The fellowship immersed me in a research environment where I was equipped with both the theoretical frameworks and practical skills needed to assess impacts,” said Tobias Okando Recha, a 2024 fellowship recipient from Kenya. “Working directly with farmers changed how I see agricultural resilience.”
Fellows didn’t just measure impact, they became part of it. The experience has opened doors to policy, research and personal growth for this group of young people, who can now continue to nurture stronger links between genebanks and farmers.
“Many of our impact fellows come in without any background in genebanks,” says Nelissa Jamora, the Crop Trust’s monitoring and evaluation manager. “Within months, they are conducting farmer surveys, leading focus group discussions and analyzing data. The evidence they generate not only builds the case for continued investment in genebanks but also deepens our understanding of how crop diversity conservation directly impacts farmers and other users.”
The message is clear – when genebanks, researchers and farmers collaborate, resilience grows.
