strengthening seed systems to meet the challenges of food security m. larinde, p. le coënt, r.g....
TRANSCRIPT
Strengthening seed systems to meet the challenges of food security
M. Larinde, P. Le Coënt, R.G. Guei & T. Osborn
Austria Room, 9 July 2009
Presentation outline
World Food security and hunger
Overview of global seed industry issues
FAO’ s Contribution to strengthening seed systems in developing countries:
Seed policy, strategy and programmes formulation or review
Strengthening local seed production and supply systems
Food security challenges
Nine billion people to feed in 2050 in the face of limited resources and climate change.
FAO’s food price index in March 2009 was still 23 % higher than 2005
There is a need to improve agricultural productivity and food security in poor rural communities.
Functional and efficient seed delivery systems is critical to sustainable production intensification and productivity increase
Food security challenges
Estimated size of global seed markets
Billion US$Billion US$
ASIAASIA 1010
NAFTANAFTA 9,59,5
EU -27EU -27 99
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICACENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA 3,53,5
AFRICAAFRICA 1,11,1
REST OF THE WORLDREST OF THE WORLD 3,43,4
TOTALTOTAL 36,536,5
Policy and legislation ( norms, taxes, subsidy, laws, IPR, international and regional cooperation)
Science (genetics, technology, physiology,
entomology, pathology, agronomy, biodiversity....)
Economy (management, marketing, investment, finance, credit)
Culture and social (livelihoods, traditions, indigenous knowledge)
Seed systems development: Key issues
Formal Versus Informal sectors
Business competitiveness and return to investment
Higher value crops with higher profit margin (hybrid maize, hybrid millet and sorghum, vegetables) Vs lower value crops - Self pollinated (rice, millet, sorghum, cowpeas), open pollinated and vegetative propagated crops (cassava, Plantain, yam ..)
Most companies deal with hybrid Maize
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Lesotho
Botswana
Ethiopia
Angola
Mozambique
Malawi
Swaziland
Kenya
Zambia
Uganda
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
South Africa
Number of Maize Seed Companies
About 47 Distinct Seed Companies.
70% have maize seed.
15 large seed companies in ESA, most of which are in Southern Africa.
Cimmyt, 2006
Cost of seed production and distribution and the need for heavy investment in:PeopleLandEquipmentInfrastructure (drying, storage, treatment, bags)TransportServices (registration, certification, IPR)
Assist countries and regions on request to formulate conducive, flexible, coherent,
comprehensive, and integrated seed sector development policies, strategies and programmes in line with the IT and
the GPA;
Trends in countries requests
There is an increasing request for seed policy and legislation reform by countries and regions
From 2005-2009, 62 % of AGP projects including emergencies have seed components or seed officers as LTO
ISFP projects with strong seed components (AGPS-LTU)
79 TCPs ( $29,998,000) 23 OSRO/GCP/UTP ( $52,359,414)
Afghanistan, Burkina Faso,CAR, DRC, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Zimbabwe
TOTAL : about $130,000,000
+ about 10 projects in finalization
EC food Facility:
Countries want to improve the use of quality seed and improved varieties
Productivity increase Mitigate negative impact of the food crisis Climate change adaptation.
Need to invest in local seed production
Local varieties more adapted and strategically important for the national food security.
Trends in countries requests
Non conducive Government policies and regulatory frameworks
Import-export controls, tax, financial services
National segmentation National segmentation
IPR (PVP)
Overregulation in some countries not adapted to farming structure
Low level of agricultural development (rainfed agric)
Limited or no access to market
Main Constraints
Poor infrastructure
Cost of transport, utilities
Small Market Size
Low effective demand
Small, dispersed clients
Main Constraints
Inefficient diffusion of technical knowledge to end users
Statistics on farming profiles and seed markets not reliable
Market disturbance due to seed donations
Seed Policy Development Process
Identification of national priorities and problems through, assessment, stakeholders consultation/ field visits
Joint work with national counterparts for elaboration of policy or legal texts
Endorsement of policy or legal text by national policy makers
Elements of a Seed Policy
Establishment of institutional arrangements (NSC, Seed Fund, Seed observatory)
Definition of roles of the various actors to avoid unfair competition and maximize efficiency
Definition of measures, rules and regulations for tax incentives, seed IPR, other measures to improve seed trade
Setting of national interests
Compulsory certification vs. true-to-label approach
Acceptance of landraces in national lists of varieties
Elements of a Seed Policy
Definition of measures or standards
Production-conditioning-storage-distribution-marketing
Import and Export,
Standards for certification
Requirements for variety release
Support to credit
Elements of a Seed Policy
National level:
Seed policy reform in: Afghanistan, Iran, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Congo DRC, Cote D’ Ivoire, Burkina, Cameroon..
Lead to seed industry development in Afghanistan and Iran
improvement in seed quality control in Burkina and Cameroon
national seed association and stronger seed institutions in Cote D’ Ivoire
Achievements
Regional level
Seed policy and programmes:
West and central Africa (1998);
Near East & North Africa (1999);
Asia and the pacific (1999);
Latin America and the Caribbean (2000);
Central and Eastern Europe (2001)
Achievements
Regional seed programme for Central Africa (CEMAC) – adopted in 2009
Africa wide: African seed and biotechnology programme (ASBP) for the African Union- adopted in 2007
Achievements
Achievements
Harmonizing seed rules and regulationsHarmonization of seed rules and regulations in
Africa West Africa (ECOWAS/UEMOA/CILSS)
(Adopted in 2008); Southern Africa (SADC); Eastern Africa (ASARECA/EAC) Central Africa (CEMAC) COMESA ( being initiated)
Harmonization in Central Asia ( Economic Community Organization (ECO)
Variety release regulation
Plant breeder’s rights
Quarantine pest lists- an phytosanitary measures
Seed trade regulations
Seed certification and standards
Key areas of harmonization
Presentation overview
– Current state of seed systems
– FAO strategy to strengthen local seed production and supply systems.
– Examples of FAO projects to support local seed production and supply
State of seed systems
In countries with market oriented agriculture
• Seed sector is dominated by the formal seed system.
• Huge development of the private seed sector since 1950 (variety development, seed production and distribution)
• Consequence: farmers are using high quality seed of improved varieties and agricultural productivity is high.
In countries dominated by subsistence agriculture
• Farmers’ seed systems largely dominate.
• Predominance of landraces and old varieties (in Africa less than 20% of the land is planted with improved varieties) and a variable seed quality.
• In these countries, formal seed systems are weak :• Limited private sector involvement• Public sector involved in early generation seed multiplication,
sometimes certified seed multiplication with poor results• Inefficient seed quality control systems and extension services.
State of seed systems
In countries dominated by subsistence agriculture
This situation is mainly due to:• Limited investments in seed sector development• Limited market for seed because :
• Most staple crops are self pollinated, vegetatively propagated or dominated by open pollinated varieties
• Weak connection of farmers with output markets which limits their revenues and capacity to invest in inputs
• Lack of access to credit• Limited access to information
• Limited farmers’ use of improved varieties and low agricultural productivity.
State of seed systems
Shifting paradigm of seed sector development
Constant objective: improve farmers’ access to quality seed of adapted varieties.
• FAO Seed Industry Development Programme umbrella: strong investment in public sector seed production.
• System failed because too costly. Transfer to the private sector, but in many countries the private sector never developed.
• Current strategy is to facilitate the development of local private sector seed enterprises
Elements to be considered to develop a national seed production and supply system
Variety development and variety release
Seed multiplication
Seed processing and transportation
Seed distribution
Seed policy and
regulation
Formal seed system
Farmers’ seed system
Seed Market
Output market
• Strategy must be adapted to the type of crop and to the agricultural system in place.
• Low volume – high value crops (Hybrid Maize, vegetables...). High profitability of seed activities
Seed production for this type of crop can be easily managed by the private sector
• High volume - low value crops (wheat, rice, groundnut, cassava...). Low profitability of those activities.– Importance of public sector involvement in plant breeding, early
generation seed multiplication and quality control– Limit overhead costs and develop community based seed entities.– Improve connections between seed producers, farmers and the food
industry to increase investment capacity of farmers.
Elements to be considered to develop a national seed production and supply system
Examples of seed production and supply projects Ethiopia
• Objective : Strengthening the “Farmer Based Seed Production and Marketing Scheme” in the Oromiya region.
• Principle: formal public system is not able to meet seed demand. Improve farmer’s seed systems to ensure local seed production.
• Main crop : wheat
Principles:• Providing basic seed of improved varieties and inputs to farmers
groups on a credit basis• Seed production by farmers groups• Seed collected by cooperatives, processed and sold to farmers on
a credit basis.• Quality control and technical support from local extension service
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Ethiopia
Project activities:• Linkages with research and make variety demonstrations• Training of farmers on seed production technologies• Provide equipment to farmers’ cooperatives• Training and equipment to local extension services to improve
technical support to seed production activities and seed quality control
Strengths• Farmers involvement, knowledge and work in a high potential
region• Strong grain cooperatives need seed activities to improve overall
profitability• Active extension services at the community level• Demand for quality seed and improved varieties• Market for wheat.
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Ethiopia
Weaknesses• Limited quantities of basic seed available• Limited profits from seed production = limited interest of
cooperatives.• Weak seed quality assurance system• Weak seed policy
Since 2003, FAO seed programme focuses on the development of the national seed sector.
Activities :
• Seed policy and seed legislation• Variety testing and variety maintenance• Early generation seed multiplication• Quality assurance systems• Support to private seed enterprises
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Afghanistan
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Afghanistan
• Principle: Private entrepreneurs buy raw seed from contracting seed growers and then process and sell seed
• A critical problem for seed enterprises is the cash need to purchase seed from seed growers at harvest time
Growing season n Growing season n +1
Basic seed
Inputs Seed processing
Grain sales
Seed Sales
November June November June
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Afghanistan
To tackle this problem, an innovative approach is being undertaken in Afghanistan:
Principle:
• make loan funds available to eligible enterprises for buying raw seed from growers
• enterprises payback all loans received for procuring raw seed; and
• repaid loans deposited in a special fund of the Afghanistan National Seed Association (ANSA).
Examples of seed production and supply projects : Sierra Leone
Seed project in Sierra Leone: an input / output approach
• Weak seed demand is a major reason for the lack of sustainability of seed production projects.
• Farmers are able to buy seed if they can market their crops at a better price
• Principle: vertical integration of seed production activities and activities to improve value addition of crop outputs
• In the Sierra Leone project: create rice milling facilities in the seed enterprise.
What the examples illustrate?
• Ethiopia:
Strengthening farmer’s seed system can be an efficient way to establish a sustainable seed production system for self pollinated crops if appropriate support services are available.
• Afghanistan:
Access to credit is a critical issue for the development of seed enterprises.
• Sierra Leone:
Integrated input/ouput approach is a way to increase seed demand and strengthen seed production activities.
General conclusion
• Formulation and implementation of national and regional seed policies and regulations are key to the development of seed systems in developing countries
• Both the public and the private seed sectors need to be supported
• Investing in small scale seed enterprises, including farmer organizations with an input/ouput market approach
• Development strategies must be adapted to the type of crops, market opportunities, ie specific country conditions
• Importance of linking farmer’s seed systems with formal seed systems
• Strengthening seed systems is part of sustainable production intensification.
Improved food production
Better income
Investment capacity
Increased inputaccess and use (seed,
fertilizer,water)Better infrastructure
Vibrant input supply sector
Improved food
availabilityLower food
prices
More structured food marketing
sectorFARMERS
Upgraded farmer’s
technical knowledge
Support
to the seed
production sector
Improvecredit
access
Development of the input
supply sector
Technology transfer and good extension approaches
Improve processing capacity
Improve storage capacity
and access to markets
Develop irrigation facilities