Improving the identification, handling and storage of “difficult” seeds ...

6.2. Summary of Burkina Faso stakeholder workshop
Améliorer l’identification, la manutention et la préservation
des graines à ‘conservation difficile’:
10 th to 14 th July 2006 - Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Dr. Kate Gold
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The stakeholder workshop on conservation of difficult seeds was held from 10 th to 14 th July 2006, at
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. The workshop was opened by the Minister of Agriculture in the
presence of the Minister of Environment and the Representative of FAO in Burkina Faso. The
workshop was attended by:
▪ 21 participants from 13 African francophone countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Centrafrique, Cote d`Ivoire, Gabon, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda,
Togo)
▪ Representative of GRENEWECA / IPGRI (Cotonou, Benin)
▪ Representative of IPGRI (Rome, Italy)
▪ Representative of FAO (AGPS, Rome, Italy)
▪ NGO representatives from the Association of Support to Local Initiatives on Rural
Development (AIDR) and the National Union of Seed Producers of Burkina
▪ RBG Kew
▪ 26 participants in total
The programme followed a similar format to that of the South African workshop, and included
country presentations, the external policy context (FAO), technical background (Kew), and
presentations from IPGRI, GRENEWECA and other stakeholders. The Association of Support to
Local Initiatives on Rural Development (AIDR) and the National Union of Seed Producers of
Burkina talked about their roles, interests, organisation and their relationship with Research and
Agricultural departments. They were interested in the outcomes of the workshop and how their
activities to improve seed production and conservation could be facilitated. Field visits to Centre
National de Semences Forestières (CNSF) and the Laboratoire du Service National des Semences,
allowed participants to see basic seed conservation and analysis equipment, and exchange with
scientists on how they handle and assess seed quality.
Presentations were followed by focus groups sessions and plenary discussions on ‘difficult species’,
training and information needs, and priority equipment needs.
Group sessions
Participants worked in two groups, to discuss needs related to training, information, basic and
priority equipment, and to establish a preliminary list of species that are difficult to store for
different institutes.
Main recommendations:
▪ Training of target groups of researchers, technicians and seed producers, in techniques and
methods of handling “difficult to store” seeds appropriately
▪ Acquisition of basic technical equipment for strengthening operational capacities of institutes
which are in charge of seed conservation.
▪ Compilation and access to scientific and technical information in relation to conservation and
handling of seeds that are difficult to store
▪ Valorisation and dissemination of available technical information on seeds that are difficult to
store, to institutes or countries, which are taking part in the project, and support of scientific
writing in order to publish new or existing data from grey literature.