Looking beyond national boundaries: regional harmonization of seed policies, laws and regulations

Abstract

Countries in West, Eastern and Southern Africa are pursuing the regional harmonization of their seed laws and regulations. Common regulatory frameworks are expected to reduce the costs of trading seed and encourage scale economies in seed production. As a result, commercial seed production is expected to expand, providing farmers with improved access to new varieties and stimulating productivity growth. The impact of these harmonization efforts will depend on the details of the regulatory agreements. Policy-makers are being asked to consider a complicated series of trade-offs between stricter measures for quality control and the need to encourage the multiplication and distribution of lower-cost seed. They are also being confronted with two possible views of sectoral development. One view entails the pursuit of better linkages between distinct national seed markets. The second involves the development of truly regionalized seed markets, where seed can be readily produced in one country and sold in any other country. This implies greater regional interdependence of seed supply. The paper compares the harmonization agreements being pursued in each of the three African regions and progress in implementing the accords. Efforts to adapt international seed market standards to the contingencies of African markets are discussed and priorities for further policy analysis are identified. #

Sustainable development in East Africa: impact evaluation of regional agricultural development projects in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda

“…African countries look beyond state boundaries and pursue regional harmonization of agricultural policies to support regional market development and regional public goods that can be readily developed in one country and deployed in others. These policies include: multiplication and distribution of quality seeds in Southern and Eastern Africa (Langyintuo et al, ; Rohrbach, Minde, & Howard, ), intra‐regional trade (Geda & Seid, ), and food standards (Heggum, ; Kaitibie, Omore, Rich, & Kristjanson, ; Walker, Ryan, & Kelley, ). Harmonization of public policies in Rwanda have incentivized smallholder farmers to adopt and uptake modern seeds, inputs and credit facilities (Dawson et al, ), notwithstanding the challenges of sole cropping (Isaacs, Snapp, Chung, & Waldman, ), and landlessness, and inequality and disruption to local trade (Ali, Deininger, & Goldstein, ; Habyarimana & Nkunzimana, ; Rushemuka, Bizoza, Mowo, & Bock, ).…”

Adoption of High-Yielding Groundnut Varieties: The Sustainability of a Farmer-Led Multiplication-Dissemination Program in Eastern Uganda

“…Commercial seed companies, operating through formal market channels, increase access where demand is sufficient to generate profits [52]. In addition, scaling up production through regional harmonization of seed systems can boost the profitability of commercial seed companies [53]. Informal farmer seed networks provide a variety of benefits to smallholders and can also benefit from regionalization [54].…”

Connecting smallholder tomato producers to improved seed in West Africa

“…This is not a trivial task, as the commercial seed Varieties in italics were ranked in the top 11 of the variety trials Viruses were delivered by agroinoculation of ~3-to 4-week-old plants followed by a second inoculation seven days later a Plants were visually rated for disease symptoms 21 days after the first inoculation according a 0-4 scale with 0 = no symptoms, 1 = slight upcurling of leaves, 2 = upcurling and vein purpling, 3 = stunting and upcurling and vein purpling, and 4 = severe stunting and distorted growth and curling and vein purpling; the presence of viral infection was determined by PCR with virus-specific primers. Response to the viruses was as follows: susceptible, rating of 3 or 4 and PCR-positive with a strong signal (DNA band); moderate resistant, rating of 2 and PCR-positive with a strong signal; resistant, rating of 0-1 and PCR-positive with a moderatestrong signal; and highly resistant, rating of 0 and PCR-negative or positive with a weak signal b This variety ranked in the top 11 in the trials distribution sector in West Africa is severely underdeveloped [46]. Seed distributed through commercial outlets needs to be adapted to the region, including resistance to important pests and pathogens.…”