UNFSS+4, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The seed sector is the quiet engine behind Africa’s agricultural transformation. It powers productivity, resilience, and inclusive growth. Yet, for too long, fragmented systems, weak institutional linkages, and polarized policy spaces have held progress back.
That narrative is now shifting, and recent events, including the Seed Sector Development Meeting and the UNFSS+4 Side Event on Public-Private Collaboration for Seed Systems Transformation, offered compelling evidence of what is possible when diverse actors work together under a shared vision for seed system renewal.
At the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), we were honoured to share insights from our role as a continental coordinator and convenor of multi-actor platforms. Working closely with the African Union Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD, Regional Economic Communities, and national systems, we support efforts to translate Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) into practical solutions through inclusive innovation systems.
A Coalition Mandate Rooted in Continental Policy
FARA delivers on this mandate by coordinating and hosting:
- The Secretariat of the African Seed and Biotechnology Partnership Platform (ASBPP) was established under AU Decision EX.CL/Dec.153 (V) to enhance governance, alignment, and strategic coordination in the seed sector;
- The TAAT Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) is a mechanism scaling proven agricultural technologies through multi-stakeholder innovation platforms.
- The Africa Foresight Academy (AFA) institutionalizes climate foresight and strategic planning, with support from the EU, FAO, IDRC, and GIZ.
We operate as part of a broader coalition, working with CGIAR centers, SROs, Seed for Food partners, national seed systems, and global initiatives like SeedNL, whose leadership has demonstrated the power of public-private-academic partnerships to build resilient, inclusive seed ecosystems.
The Netherlands’ “Diamond Approach”: A Model for Collaboration
The Netherlands’ “Diamond Model”: A Global Benchmark for Seed Sector Collaboration
The Netherlands’ seed sector is recognized globally for its success, anchored in the “Diamond Model”-a strategic framework that fosters structured collaboration among government, private sector, research institutions, and civil society. Spearheaded and supported by institutions like the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this model has made the Dutch seed system one of the world’s most innovative, resilient, and inclusive.
At the meeting, SeedNL shared how this model has fostered trust, alignment, and market expansion while ensuring quality, biodiversity, and farmer-centred outcomes. Africa can adapt this approach, tailored to its context, through platforms that institutionalize collaboration, not improvise it, and invest in long-term, depoliticized partnerships.
Depolarizing the Seed Sector: Toward Inclusive Innovation
The seed sector in Africa is often mired in unproductive debates—formal vs. informal, public vs. private, local vs. hybrid. This polarization hampers progress, marginalizes smallholder farmers, and deters much-needed innovation and investment.
FARA and its partners champion a depolarized, pluralistic seed system—one that:
- Recognizes the complementary roles of both formal and informal actors;
- Empowers local seed enterprises and innovation ecosystems;
- Promotes inclusive, evidence-based policy processes rooted in farmer realities.
To unlock the full potential of Africa’s seed sector, we must prioritize integration over ideology, and collaboration over confrontation.
The Seeds for Food Coalition offers a timely and strategic platform to sustain these conversations, foster trust, and advance collective action toward an inclusive, innovative, and farmer-centered seed system for Africa.
Ethiopia’s Case: From Import Reliance to Seed Sovereignty
One of the strongest illustrations came from Ethiopia. Through coordinated public-private collaboration and strategic breeding investments, the country transitioned from importing malt barley to releasing three high-yielding, high-quality local varieties.
Similarly, the release of BH 6241 hybrid maize, developed in partnership with local and international actors, allowed Ethiopia to end maize seed imports by June 2025. This is the kind of progress FARA supports, locally adapted, demand-led, and system-anchored.
From Platforms to Policy: Anchoring Innovation in Institutions
FARA supports over 700 Innovation Platforms across Africa, spaces where policy makers, researchers, private firms, and farmer organizations converge to co-develop and scale seed innovations.
FARA and its community over the years, have learned that true transformation happens when these platforms are:
- Embedded in national agricultural strategies;
- Linked to continental policy frameworks such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP);
- Measured against indicators on variety release, seed availability, and access by smallholders.
That’s why:
- In TAAT, we promote local business linkages via platforms like the Innovation Platform and Agribusiness (IPAbP) Portal.
- In ASBPP, we foster regional integration and policy coherence through technical working groups and thematic clusters.
- In AFA, we institutionalize foresight capacity within seed systems planning.
Youth, Women, and Local Entrepreneurs: The Real Frontline
Transformation is only real when it reaches those at the base of the pyramid. At the Seed Sector Development Meeting, Dina Gebe, a young Ethiopian entrepreneur, shared her journey of transforming indigenous knowledge into an antioxidant-rich green tea product.
Her voice highlighted a core truth: youth and women are not just beneficiaries but innovators, investors, and catalysts. FARA’s platforms support this shift, equipping a new generation of bio-entrepreneurs, seed champions, and system stewards.
Climate Foresight: Designing Resilient Seed Systems
Climate resilience is no longer optional. Through AFA, FARA helps institutions plan for uncertainty, mainstreaming foresight tools, building strategic scenarios, and ensuring seed systems are designed to withstand droughts, heat stress, pest shocks, and market volatility.
FARA representatives with Prof Joachim Von Braun of the University of Bonn
Climate-resilient seed systems must be intentional and anticipatory, not accidental.
What’s Next? From Momentum to Institutionalization
The momentum is clear. But we must go beyond short-lived interventions to truly transform Africa’s seed sector. We must:
✅ Establish a continental coordination mechanism to unify fragmented seed initiatives;
✅ Strengthen public-private collaboration on plant genetic resource conservation and gene bank utilization;
✅ Promote cross-learning and mutual accountability across countries and regions;
✅ Embed transformation within AU-aligned policy frameworks, including CAADP, Agenda 2063, and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024).
At FARA, serving as the Secretariat of ASBPP and a lead partner in TAAT and AFA, we remain committed to building a seed sector that is resilient, inclusive, and truly African-led.
Because the future of Africa’s food system begins with a seed,
And the future of seed depends on science, foresight, partnerships, and shared responsibility.
Let’s plant the future, together.
Leave A Comment