IITA strengthens seed systems in São Tomé and Príncipe

15 June 2026

In São Tomé and Príncipe, staple crops such as cassava, maize, sweet potato, and yam play a critical role in food security, nutrition, and rural livelihoods. However, limited access to quality planting materials and weak technical capacities have continued to constrain productivity. Through the COMPRAN project, IITA - CGIAR is helping to address challenges affecting the country's seed system for key food security crops.

IITA-Cameroon through the Commercialização Produtividade Agricola e Nutrição (COMPRAN) project, successfully trained Farmer Field School leaders, extensionists, and Centro de Investigação Agronómica e Tecnológica (CIAT) technicians in quality seed production for cassava, maize, sweet potato, and yam in São Tomé and Príncipe.

The training was conducted in partnership with CIAT and São Tomé and Príncipe (CIAT-STP) and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It marked a significant step toward strengthening the country's seed systems and improving agricultural productivity. The capacity-building initiative brought together 25 participants: including 13 Farmer Field School leaders, four extension officers, and eight CIAT technicians and researchers. Through a blended learning approach including classroom sessions and practical field demonstrations, participants gained hands-on experience. They trained in seed multiplication, pest and disease management, quality control procedures, and innovative propagation technologies.

The training was designed to address challenges in the country's seed system by equipping local actors with the knowledge and skills needed to produce healthy, certified planting materials.

"Strengthening technical capacities in seed systems is essential for improving agricultural productivity and ensuring long-term food security," said Prof. Miclay Carvalho, Scientific Director of CIAT-STP

Representing the IITA-CGIAR team, Dr Fotso Apollin, Entomologist at IITA Cameroon, said: "This initiative forms part of IITA's broader sustainability strategy aimed at supporting national agricultural institutions and empowering local communities through knowledge transfer".

The training was implemented in two phases. The first phase focused on Farmer Field School leaders and extension workers, with emphasis on certified seed production techniques. The second phase targeted CIAT researchers and technicians. It introduced advanced technologies such as in vitro propagation and semi-autotrophic hydroponics for foundation seed production. Participants attended intensive theoretical sessions, followed by practical field exercises at the CIAT campus. There, they applied techniques for selecting healthy planting materials, establishing multiplication plots, identifying pests and diseases, and managing seed quality.

"Farmers often reuse planting materials from previous harvests without renewal, which contributes to declining yields and the spread of diseases. This training helps participants understand how quality seed systems can transform productivity and improve livelihoods, explained Dr Abang Albert, IITA Plant Health scientist. "

Beyond technical knowledge, the initiative also strengthened collaboration between researchers, extension services, and farming communities. By training Farmer Field School leaders and extension agents, IITA-CGIAR is helping ensure that improved practices reach farming communities across São Tomé and Príncipe.

Speaking during the opening session, Summer Metzer, Agricultural Production Specialist of the COMPRAN project, highlighted: "the training strengthens local capacity in seed production, certification, and pest management to build a sustainable national seed system. Trained technicians will act as knowledge transfer actors, accelerating the adoption of improved seed technologies among farmers nationwide".

IITA-CGIAR equipped CIAT-STP and COMPRAN with a comprehensive package of technical manuals, field guides, training presentations, and advanced propagation references covering certified seed production for cassava, maize, sweet potato, and yam.

Materials ranging from pest and disease management tools to innovative technologies such as in-vitro propagation, semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAH), and the Triple S system, were formally transferred to strengthen institutional capacity, support future farmer trainings, and reinforce the development of a sustainable national seed system under the COMPRAN project, contributing to institutional strengthening and supporting the development of a more structured national seed system and ensure lasting impact beyond the training.

Contributed by Melanie Chichi Nyako and Ritha Bumwe