Underlining that seed security is a prerequisite for
achieving food security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) and AfricaRice convened a ‘Regional
workshop on seed policy in West Africa’ in Cotonou, Benin on 5 and 6 May. The workshop was inaugurated by
HE Michel Sogbossi, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Benin.
The workshop was attended by decision-makers from 11 West
African countries and from Madagascar. Representatives from ECOWAS, the West
African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), West and Central African Council
for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), African Development Bank (AfDB), Alliance
for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), IFDC, African Seed Trade Association
(AFSTA) and African Seed Network (ASN) also took part.
The agricultural experts who participated in the workshop
urged decision-makers to support the sustainable growth and development of the
West African seed sector, particularly for food-security crops, such as rice,
millet, sorghum, cowpea and maize.
The workshop stressed the need to formulate, adopt and
implement coherent strategies and policies at regional and national levels for
the rapid development of viable seed enterprises, which would help increase the
steady supply of quality seed to millions of smallholder farmers in West
Africa.
Key recommendations targeted to specific stakeholder
groups were made by the participants to enable a sustainable seed production
and distribution effort in the sub-regions, including the needs to:
·
Develop improved varieties and ensure their
rapid delivery through effective seed systems
·
Develop national action plans to support the
sustainable development of seed industries
·
Strengthen partnerships between the public
and private sectors on seed-related issues, with clear delineation of their
respective roles
·
Develop the capacity of the formal and
informal seed sectors
·
Integrate a value-chain approach in seed
policies
·
Develop regulatory frameworks for rapid and
sustainable growth of the seed industry
·
Ensure the participation of the whole range
of actors in the formulation of seed policies.
