Developing efficient, dynamic, and sustainable integrated seed systems is key to agricultural transformation, food and nutrition security, and poverty reduction in Africa. The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service joins this effort by convening representatives of seed authorities and seed industries, scientists, researchers, and policymakers in a seminar-workshop on “Seed systems development in East and West Africa.” This event represented the third component of the project “Agricultural Biotech and Seed Systems in Africa and Asia,” which USDA is implementing through the Seed Science Center at Iowa State University. The focus was on Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

The seminar-workshop’s objectives were:

• To identify initiatives, interventions, and opportunities that will drive significant improvements in seed system effectiveness so that farmers’ access to quality seeds and seed trade are enhanced in East and West Africa.
• To learn from successful countries, agencies, and institutions their best practices and approaches to implementing specific aspects of their seed system, including fostering public-private partnerships.
• To develop recommendations that could help advance national and regional action plans for seed systems development and inform future technical assistance activities.