ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

ICRISAT Archival Report 2006
The Seedlings of Success in the SAT Nurtured
Project 1
Improving policies and facilitating institutional innovation, markets and impact to
support the sustained reduction of poverty and hunger in the SAT
System Priority 5: Improving policies and facilitating institutional innovation to support sustainable
reduction of poverty and hunger
Priority 5 A: Science and Technology Policies and Institutions
Priority 5A, Specific goal 3: Improving incentives for technology generation, access and use
Priority 5A, Specific goal 5:Enhancing the structure, conduct and performance of knowledge-intensive
institutions
Output 1A: Best innovative practices and mechanisms for harmonization and utilization of seed-related
and biosafety regulations and policies suitable for the specific conditions of the SAT piloted, promoted
and adopted by 2009 with new knowledge shared with partners
MTP Output Target 2006: Innovative approaches for generation and utilization of new agricultural
technologies and for facilitating innovation identified and piloted
1A.1. Guidelines prepared for the design and operation of efficient community seed production schemes by
2006.
Regional seed policy harmonization (SSA)
Seed policy harmonization has been cited as a means to increase seed trade and reduce seed costs in southern
Africa for the past 15 years. However, little have been achieved over this period except the principled agreement
that harmonization would be useful. There are three initiatives working towards harmonized seed trade in sub-
Saharan Africa:
• Southern Africa: The initiative facilitated by the Southern Africa Development Community - Seed
Security Network (SSSN),
• Eastern and central Africa: The initiative facilitated by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural
Research in Eastern and Central Africa coordinated by the Eastern and Central Africa Programme for
Agricultural Policy Analysis (ASARECA/ECAPAPA), and
• West Africa: The initiative facilitated through the collaboration between the Institut du Sahel
(CILSS/INSAH), the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), and the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in West Africa.
Although there has been effective intra-regional dialog between countries and in the case of West Africa
between the three separate seed trade harmonization initiatives in that region, there has been very limited interregional
dialog. This will limit seed trade between regions unless there is harmonization across the regions, and
this is particularly important between the SADC block and countries in Eastern and Central Africa where there
is already some seed trade and potential for a lot more.
There is strong pressure from commercial seed companies for the development and implementation of
harmonized rules and regulations to facilitate seed trade across national borders, but to date these have been
elusive because there has been limited effort to have the draft technical agreements politically approved.
ICRISAT facilitated a linkage with the Seed Science Center of Iowa State University and the SADC Seed
Security Network (SSSN) to establish a practical foundation for three regional regulatory harmonization
agreements.
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