Senior expert at the CRP RTB Seed systems CC 2.1 – Improving RTB planting material and access to new varieties and the CRP MAIZE

As senior expert, I will collaborate with CRP RTB and CRP MAIZE, involving six CGIAR centres with important seed system activities. 1) I will be co-leading the cluster RTB Cross-Cutting (CC) 2.1 ‘Improving RTB planting material and access to new varieties’, which is one of the cross-cutting clusters under RTB Flagship 2 ‘Adapted productive varieties and quality seed of RTB crops’. In this cluster, four CGIAR centers, WUR and the University of Florida collaborate in interdisciplinary cross-crop research to address bottle necks in RTB seed systems performance, in order to better support interventions in seeds systems. 2) In the context of this grant, I will seek opportunities for collaboration between CRP RTB and CRP MAIZE to compare lessons from different type of crops c.q. seed systems. In particular, I will seek opportunities for collaborative research to understand “the conditions of seed delivery and determinants of demand for seed”, which researchers of both CRPs have expressed an interest in. 3) I will engage, link and support junior and mid-career researchers in this field of seed and food systems innovations to build their capacity to work on seed system development.