The refurbished agricultural stations in Afghanistan are serving as launching points for new village seed enterprises being encouraged by the Future Harvest Consortium. The seed testing laboratories being built by the Consortium are invaluable components to the creation of a commercialized seed potato industry. The Consortium members are working with farmers to develop a certification process that will be recognized by seed potato purchasers nationwide. This will create new markets for virus-free potato seed and build farmer confidence in the crop.

These enterprises will help introduce new crops and open new markets, accelerate crop improvement, facilitate information and technology exchanges, and create employment and learning opportunities for Afghan farmers and rural folk.

The tree nurseries established in Rwanda by ICRAF/AFRENA (Agroforestry Research Network for East and Central Africa), and those established by ICARDA/IPGRI/ UNDP/PAPP in the Palestinian Authority (both described in Chapter 4) have stimulated the emergence of small tree seedling enterprises. A wide range of tree species having different advantages enables these village entrepreneurs to meet diverse needs, such as fuelwood, plant staking material, soil fertility rehabilitation, and food production.

Seeds of Hope II in Central America also developed human capacities to launch small-scale seed enterprises. With help from DICTA (Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology, Honduras) and INTA (Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology), courses were organized for 60 farmers and technicians from 17 collaborating institutions. The technicians in turn trained another 200 people, half of whom were farmers.

David Montes Romero, a farmer in Honduras said "Now, I know how to treat improved seed. And I've already begun sharing what I've learned with my community." C6sar Romero, president of the Local Committee for Sustainable Development in the Watershed of the Tascalapa River said, "We no longer think about the present but about the future." He and other farmers have decided to form a microenterprise for bean and maize seed production.

Investing in human capacity is innately an act of optimism, because the payoff is long-term and difficult to precisely forecast. The threat of seeing it all washed away due to disaster and conflict has not deterred the CGIAR Centers. They have remained vigorous and innovative under some very difficult situations. It was not uncommon over the past quarter-century to meet scientists training at Centers while their home country had erupted in conflict—in some cases, rescuing them from possible torture and death, preserving a safety net for their country's agricultural future. By building regional and global networks, CGIAR Centers have nurtured a form of insurance that has helped countries recover from some of the worst nightmares that humankind has experienced.