the politics of seed in africa's green revolution
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The Politics of Seed in
Africa’s Green Revolution
Towards Integrated Seed Sector Development
Hannington Odamehsodame@gmail.com
John Thompsonj.thompson@ids.ac.uk
FAC London Policy DialogueODI – 24 September 2014
www.future-agricultures.org
• Renewed interest in a Green Revolution in Africa
• Political economy of cereal seed systems in Africa
• The role of agro-dealers in delivering seed and information
• Towards ISSD – Integrated Seed Sector Development in Africa
• Final reflections
Focus
The Politics of Seed in Africa’s Green Revolution
Since the 1980s….• Declining role of state in agriculture• Collapse of public research and extension systems• Private sector important, but not sufficient• Inadequate responses from the int’l system• Informal seed systems exist, but are not recognised by
formal R&D and policy
A new Green Revolution for Africa?• A technology and market focus by dominant actors• A strong focus on the formal sector to produce and
deliver ‘improved seeds’
A new Green Revolution?
Framing the GR problem & solution
Problem: Population growth, environmental degradation, declining agricultural productivity…in the context of climate change…are leading to food production (yield) gaps and impeding economic growth
Solution: A technological and market ‘fix’ (new drought tolerant seeds + fertilisers + agro-dealers + new markets), particularly for high potential areas, will spark a new African Green Revolution in Africa
… or some variant…
Politics/Interests
Actors/ Networks/Practices
Discourses/Narratives
Analysing Policy Processes
J. Keeley and I. Scoones, Understanding Environmental Policy Processes: Cases from Africa. London: Earthscan, 2003.
Understanding policy processes comes as a result of looking at the intersection of
these 3 overlapping elements.
L. Sperling et al 2008. JDS
Planting breeding, PBR, priority setting
Seed aid and relief
Regulation and certification
Governance of seed/
innovation systems
Economics of seed production and distribution
Politics and policy processes
Politics of national and
global agri-food systems
Seed systems
Seeds and livelihoods:
social-cultural dimensions
Political Economy of Cereal Seed Systems
• Five country studies: Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Ethiopia
• In all cases: the significance of cereal crops to national politics (and food security), commercial interests and local livelihoods is profound
• Hypothesis: Contrasting politics and configurations of interests will make a difference to the way seed systems operate and how a new Green Revolution agenda ultimately plays out….
Research Questions• How do seed policies get created, and by
whom? • How do narratives about what makes a
‘good seed policy’ change over time?• How are seed ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’
framed in policy debates – and how does this affect implementation?
• Whose voices are taken into account in the seed policy process – and whose are excluded?
• What policy spaces exist for new ideas and actors and how can these be opened up?
Country Studies1. Ghana (Kojo Amanor) – Green Revolution narratives and
local-level realities: how a technocratic approach overwhelms alternative perspectives on breeds and seeds
2. Ethiopia (Dawit Alemu)– liberalisation under state control: the politics of the emergent private sector seed industry
3. Zimbabwe (Charity Mutonodzo and Douglas Magunda) – rebuilding the seed system post ‘collapse’: why top-down government/aid programmes may make things worse
4. Malawi (Blessings Chinsinga) – the politics of maize and input subsidy programmes: how diverse interests converge around a particular technical-economic trajectory
5. Kenya (Hannington Odame and Elijah Muange) – agro-dealers and the market solution: politics, interests and who wins and loses from the new Green Revolution?
Ghana – Kojo Amanor• A strong commitment to agribusiness development
dominates policy and is reinforced by donors, NGOs and private capital
• Results in a particular configuration of actors defining a singular vision for Ghana’s Green Revolution
• Agribusiness model serves a certain set of powerful political-economic interests, but undermines others
• This ‘universalising consensus’ is acting to close down efforts to establish more pluralistic seed pathways
• Reduced efforts at developing more farmer-centred approaches and constrains local innovation in the seed sector
Ethiopia – Dawit Alemu• 3 political–economic drivers push seed policy in different
directions1. influence of top-down, state-driven initiatives2. attitudes towards liberalisation and the private sector3. the dynamics of political–administrative
decentralisation• Role of the state remains central, and the private sector
must operate within specific strategic objectives
• There are limits (inertia) to Ethiopia’s approach:– Significant market disincentives– Shortages of improved technologies (esp. seed)– Weak coordination among actors in the seed sector
• Political turmoil and radical land reform reduced supply of quality seeds and undermined regulatory control
• Collapse of the seed system was exacerbated by seed relief programmes implemented by government and aid agencies
• Aid agencies experimented with ‘market-friendly’ input subsidy programmes which also created distortions
• Strengthening the re-emerging seed system requires: – addressing overlapping objectives– improving coordination– increasing accountability and trust among key
stakeholders
Zimbabwe – Charity Mutonodzo-Davies and Douglas Magunda
• Maize politics dominates Malawi’s electoral politics
• Interests of the state, multinational seed companies and donors converged around the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP)
• FISP has had some success at improving the country’s food security raised its global profile
• But it has been exploited as a source of political patronage limiting access, diversity and affordability of seeds for many producers
• There have been recent debates on the rethinking FISP in Malawi but is this change in status quo?
Malawi – Blessings Chinsinga
Reflections• The underlying implication in all these cases is that
politics matter in seed system policy
• By engaging critically with seed policy processes we can begin to identify and then deliberate among different framings and interests
• This can help to shift the focus of the current GR debate beyond the standard technical/market fix towards more plural seed systems
Agro-dealers and the Private Delivery of
Seeds and Technical Advice
Who is an Agro-dealer?• Trained and certified ‘stockists’
• No legal definition in Kenya Seed laws recognise licensed seed merchants & sellers
• Range from large multi-product retailer-distributors to small seasonal traders
• Specific types of agro-dealers include:– small business people– vendors– employees of seed companies/agro-
chemical dealers– lead farmers– agricultural extension workers
Commodity Focus
Commodity Focus• Certified seed &
fertiliser constitute <20% of stock value
• Direct agric inputs constitute 42% of stock value
• Commodity diversification vital for risk mitigation & cost management
• Regional differences on stock composition reported
Value of Commodities Stocked by Agro-dealers(%)
Seeds10%
Others40%
Vet Drugs5%
Human Drugs6%
Fertilizer8%
Pesticides10%
Feeds9%
Building Materials
12%
Sources of Information on New Varieties by Gender
• Agro-dealers only ranked 4th out of 7 options for new information on new varieties behind - Mass media (radio, TV),
often sponsored by large seed companies
- ‘Other’ farmers (neighbours or friends)
- Government extension servicesSource: PASS Farmers survey, 2013 (with GRA’s use permission)
Are We Overloading the Carrier? • Few agro-dealers have key
information sought by farmers on the seed varieties they stock
• Many agro-dealers do not assist in addressing farmers’ concerns about seed quality
• Lack of information and sustainable demand for novel technologies
• Many governments (and donors) are promoting agro-dealers to deliver Green Revolution seeds and inputs
• But they are often spread unevenly concentrated in the higher potential areas
• Changing structure of the seed industry is narrowing farmer choice (hybrid maize, GM maize?) leading to technological ‘lock in’
• Agro-dealership remains a risky business limited by capital constraints and government interference
• Need to rethink the agro-dealer model take account for in farmer, crop/seed and geographical differences
• Consider promoting different forms of agro-dealership to supply a wider range of seeds and inputs
Reflections
Towards Integrated Seed Sector Development in Africa?
Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Kenya
Centre of Development Innovation, Wageningen UR (CDI)
Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC)
ISSD and Agricultural Development
Starting Point:Quality seed is a key input for increasing agricultural production and productivity can come in many forms and from many sources
Aim of ISSD:• Creating vibrant, market-oriented and
pluralistic seed sector• Enhancing farmers’ access to quality
seed of superior varieties• Thereby contributing to food security
and economic development
Characterising Seed Systems
• Domains: public, private, informal, mixed
• Type of crops: food crops, cash crops• Type of varieties: landrace,
improved, exotic, hybrid• Types of seed quality assurance:
certified, but also quality declared seed (QDS) and informal seed…
• Seed dissemination mechanism: agro-dealers, but also local exchange, seed fairs, agro-input distribution schemes…
Local seed business
Food and cash crops
Wheat, barley, beans, potato, onion,
maize (OPV & HV)
Local and improved varieties
Certified, ‘QDS’ and informal seed
Variation from contractual, marketing, NGO and bartering
Informal, Intermediary &Formal Seed Systems
Farmer- saved
Food crops
Cowpea, millets, sorghum, banana,
cassava
Local varieties and introduce and recycled
improved varieties
Farmer seed
farmer-saved and exchange, local
markets
Community-based
Major food and cash crops
Beans, cowpea, pigeon pea, green grams, millets, sorghum,
maize, banana, potato
Local varieties and introduced and
recycled improved varieties
Farmer seed
Farmer-saved and exchanged, local
markets
Relief
Food security (subsistence) crops
Beans, maize, cassava
Local, improved and imported
Various, unknown
Free distribution, voucher schemes
Local Seed Business
Major food and cash crops
Beans, rice, maize, sorghum, potato
Improved varieties released through public
programmes
Certified, QDS
Distribution and marketing
National companies (public – private)
Major food and cash crops
Maize (hybrid and OPV), sunflower,
brewing sorghum, wheat, rice
Improved varieties released through public
programmes
Certified
Marketing through agro-dealers and
distribution through input schemes
Multi-national
companies
Cash crops
Maize (hybrids), exotic vegetables
Improved varieties released through private breeding
companies
Quality
Direct marketing and through agrodealers
Closed value chains
Plantation and greenhouse cash crops
Sugar cane, tea, cotton, tobacco, flowers
Improved varieties released through private breeding
programmes
Quality
Seed import for use within value chain
Informal Intermediary Formal
ISSD Guiding Principles
Facilitate interactions between informal and formal systems
Recognize the relevance of informal seed systems
Enhance complementary roles of private and public sector
Foster pluralism and build programmes upon a diversity of seed systems
Work according to structure of the seed value chain
Support enabling and policies for a dynamic seed sector
Promote entrepreneurship and demand/market orientation
Promote evidence based seed sector innovation
Facilitating Interaction between Informal and Formal Systems
• Recognise informal seed systems• Interaction between various components of the seed
value chainvariety
development
Release
seed multiplication
seed dissemination
PGR management
seed selection
production
diffusion
PPB, PVSSeed bank, seed fair
(CBM)
Local seed outlets Seed extension
Formal seed system
Informal seed system
Pilot Phase for Comprehensive Programme on ISSD
Goal:Support the development of a market-oriented, pluralistic, vibrant and dynamic seed sector in Africa for providing both female and male smallholder farmers access to quality seed of superior varieties
Beyond 2016:Design and implement a 5-year, comprehensive ISSD Africa programme in partnership with the African Union’s Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP)
Priority Themes• Themes prioritised through intensive consultation:
1. Addressing common challenges to promoting entrepreneurship in seed value chain
2. Improving access to varieties in the public domain3. Matching global commitments with national realities4. Seed sector development to support CAADP
implementation within the framework of the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme
• Possible additional themes:5. Seed governance in fragile states6. Informal seed systems and on-farm management
ApproachCollaboration with national seed sector partners:• Collaboration with existing national seed programmes• Implement action research innovation trajectories,
dialogues, capacity strengthening and joint learning• In 8 pilot countries
Guided by Thematic Working Groups:• Led by recognised experts• Who guide further definition of the thematic focus• And design the action research and learning activities
Thank You• www.issdseed.org• www.future-agricultures.org/issd-africa
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