Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT)

The Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1993. Since establishment, CTDT has evolved into a nationally and internationally respected NGO employing more than 30 people and implementing several programmes that include conservation and enhancement of agro-biodiversity, seed production, environmental conservation, micro-enterprise development and policy development and formulation in collaboration with international NGOs such as GTZ, HIVOS, NEDA, AFAP and FAO.

SwedBio currently supports the: "Community Biodiversity Development and Conservation Programme"- Africa during the period from January 2007 -December 2009.

The programme is the regional node of the CBDC (Community Biodiversity Development Conservation) Network - a global initiative developed by governmental and non-governmental organisations involved in agricultural initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in cooperation with Northern partners.

The main aim of CBDC Africa is to promote community agro-biodiversity through development, conservation and utilization of traditional crop varieties as well as the promotion of local knowledge among smallholder farmers. The objective at regional level is to facilitate civil society organisations to participate in policy-making processes, debates and negotiations so as to influence positive policy changes at national, regional and global levels with regard to biodiversity conservation, biosafety and sustainable utilization of agro-biodiversity.

The strategic focus of the national programmes relate to:

• Creating awareness, participating in debates and negotiations at all levels and developing alternative policy frameworks on biodiversity, modern biotechnology and bio safety (BBB) at national, regional and international levels.
  
• Developing community based, need-driven appropriate technologies in the areas of agro-biodiversity management, local seed supply systems, participatory plant breeding and variety selection and improving soil fertility management intended to enhance food security.
  
• Addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, food nutrition, farmer and institutional capacity building, organising farmer's technical conferences, information documentation and dissemination, including collection of gender disaggregated data.
  
• Documenting and publishing policy briefs, manuals and other relevant publications critical to profile the work of the CBDC African regional programme.

The programme is implemented by partners in:

• Burkina Faso (National/Local partner: Institut De L'Environment et de Recherches Agricoles - INERA)
  
• Mali (National/Local partner: USC-Canada/Seeds of Survival Programme)
  
• Sierra Leone (National/Local partner: Community Biodiversity Action Network -CBAN)
  
• Lesotho (National/Local partner: Katleho Moho Association)
  
• Ethiopia (National/Local partner: Ethio-Organic Seed Action - EOSA)
  
• Zambia (National/Local partner: Biodiversity Community Network - BCN)
  
• Zimbabwe (National/Local partner: Community Technology Development Trust - CTDT)
  
• Malawi (National/Local partner: Harvest Help/Find Your Feet)