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