Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
August 20, 2024
Officials of national seed authorities, researchers, scientists, and seed industry professionals gather in Addis Ababa today to develop recommendations to advance action plans for seed systems development in East and West Africa. Seventeen guest speakers from nine countries will join 47 participants from the five focus countries of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania in this four-day seminar-workshop.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) co-hosts the event with Iowa State University’s (ISU) Seed Science Center (SSC). Mikael Cleverley, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., to the U.S. Mission to the African Union (USAU) and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will open the event. The Hon. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union Commission, will deliver the keynote address.
“We aim to provide a forum by which participants can share their best approaches and practices in implementing innovations to their seed systems, including that of fostering public-private partnerships,” said Justina Torry, senior agricultural attaché with the USDA-FAS office based in Addis Ababa. “The goal is to foster a dynamic seed sector capable of placing high-quality seeds within the reach of small-scale farmers. We advance this goal by harmonizing regional seed regulations to boost trade. Our participants’ recommendations will also inform future technical assistance activities in the five focus countries.”
Opening day highlights include an assessment of the state of seed systems in East and West Africa using an analytical tool developed by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Opportunities for seed sector growth in the two regions will be explored in a talk by Moumini Savadogo, executive director of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF). Yacouba Diallo, Secretary General of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) will share the association’s recommendations to strengthen the national and regional coordination of seed systems in partnership with the private sector. Veteran maize physiologist Jill Cairns of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will give an overview of the Seed Production Technology for Africa project while biodiversity expert Melesse Maryo, director general of the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI), will share participatory mechanisms for conserving biodiversity and indigenous knowledge in the continuous effort to improve seed quality.
“We have had global engagements in partnership with the USDA-FAS over the years,” says Lulu Rodriguez, global programs lead for Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center. The seminar-workshop in Ethiopia is the latest of our joint efforts to expand farmers’ access to quality seed, promote the growth of national seed industries, help nations strengthen their seed programs and facilitate seed trade,” she added.
Interested parties may attend the event online. Information about virtual access, seminar-workshop schedule, speakers and participants are available at the website https://www.seeds.iastate.edu/seed-systems-development-workshop.
About the USDA-FAS: The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the USDA’s overseas programs—market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information. It also administers the USDA's export credit guarantee and food aid programs and helps increase income and food availability in developing nations by mobilizing expertise for agriculturally led economic growth. The FAS mission statement reads, "Linking U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security."
About the Seed Science Center at Iowa State University: Iowa State University’s SSC is a global center for excellence in seed science, technology, and systems. It operates one of the world’s most comprehensive public seed testing laboratory that analyzes seeds of 300 species for over 350 seed-borne pathogens. It offers the only online master’s program in the world on Seed Science, Technology, and Business. SSC projects in 80 countries over the past 20 years have helped to expand producers’ access to quality seed, facilitate seed trade, and promote the growth of national seed systems and industries.
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