Africa must increase investment in seed production, agricultural research and farmer access to quality planting materials to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on external supplies, the African Union Commission has said.
The call was made at the inaugural Africa Seed Summit held in Ezulwini, Eswatini, from October 5 to 7, where African leaders, agriculture ministers and development partners agreed on measures to strengthen seed systems, improve cross-border trade and promote climate-resilient crop varieties.
Opening the summit on October 6, King Mswati III of Eswatini said the quality of seed determines the potential of agricultural production, arguing that investment in other farm inputs cannot compensate for poor planting materials.
“No fertilizer, irrigation or machinery can make up for poor seed,” the King said.
The summit, convened by the African Union Commission under the theme “Resilient Seed Systems for a Food Secure Africa,” sought to mobilise political commitment and public and private investment in the continent’s seed sector.
King Mswati called on African countries to build on their respective agricultural strengths and cooperate in meeting the continent’s food needs.
“Each nation must maximize the crops for which it is best suited and where one country shows particular strength, the other Member States must support it, because all of us are Africans. In the end, what we want is to see a successful Africa that is food secure,” he said.
He also called for investment in soil testing, irrigation infrastructure, storage facilities and transport networks to enable agricultural produce to move more efficiently between African markets.
The King linked these investments to the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying stronger regional cooperation and support from financial institutions and development partners would help unlock viable agricultural projects.
He further urged countries to conserve indigenous plant genetic resources and develop varieties capable of withstanding drought, pests and other climate-related production challenges.
Sharing Eswatini’s experience, he cited the upgrading of the country’s national gene bank, seed and germplasm multiplication initiatives, and training programmes that have enabled some farmer groups to begin small-scale seed production.
“Frameworks that remain on paper feed no one,” he said, calling for the implementation of agreed agricultural programmes.
Farmers’ access to quality seed
African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi said the continent’s seed sector needed sustained investment in agricultural research, plant breeding, seed testing, certification and extension services to translate policy commitments into practical benefits for farmers.
Representing AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Haddadi said farmers needed reliable access to suitable seed at affordable prices and at the right time in the planting season.
She also called for support to seed enterprises capable of reaching farmers more effectively, alongside measures to increase the participation of women and young people in seed production, innovation and agricultural businesses.
Haddadi urged governments and development partners to strengthen cooperation between formal seed systems, which rely on regulated production and certification, and farmer-managed systems that support seed saving, exchange and community-based production.
“Let us therefore leave Ezulwini with renewed determination to translate commitments into action, partnerships into investments, and strategies into measurable results,” she said.
The challenge facing African agriculture extends beyond the availability of seed policies. It also concerns whether research institutions receive sufficient funding, whether improved varieties reach farmers and whether regulatory authorities can prevent counterfeit seed from entering markets.
The African Union’s concept note for the summit identified inadequate funding for crop-breeding programmes, weak implementation of seed regulations and limited promotion of newly developed varieties among the challenges affecting the sector.
It also cited counterfeit seed as a threat to agricultural productivity, noting that seed sold without undergoing national certification can include grain marketed as planting material, as well as products bearing counterfeit packaging and labels.
These challenges can leave farmers investing their labour and other inputs in crops that fail to deliver the expected yields.
Ministers adopt seed system commitments
The summit concluded with the adoption of the Ezulwini Outcome Document, which outlines commitments to improve affordable and timely access to quality seed and planting materials, particularly for smallholder farmers, women and young people.
The commitments include increased investment in agricultural research, plant breeding and seed enterprises, as well as the development of productive, nutritious and climate-resilient crop varieties that respond to farmers’ needs.
Ministers also recognised farmer-managed seed systems as an important component of Africa’s agricultural capacity and called for support to community seed banks, farmer networks and local enterprises.
The document further calls for the protection of farmers’ rights and the fair sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
Another proposal is the establishment of an integrated African Seed and Gene Bank System linking a continental institution with national and regional gene banks. The proposed system would strengthen the conservation of plant genetic resources and support their use in agricultural research and future production.
Ministers also called for the harmonisation of seed policies and standards and the removal of barriers to intra-African seed trade to improve access to quality planting materials across national borders.
The recommendations will be submitted to the relevant African Union policy organs for consideration, validation and formal endorsement.
Closing the summit, Moses Vilakati, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, said the consensus reached should mark the beginning of a new phase of implementation.
He described the adopted document as a roadmap for cooperation among the African Union Commission, member states, regional economic communities, development partners, research institutions, farmers’ organisations and the private sector.
“On behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, I wish to reaffirm the Commission’s full commitment to supporting and facilitating the implementation of the decisions and recommendations arising from this summit,” Vilakati said.
Development partners at the summit also reaffirmed their commitment to working with African governments and other stakeholders to strengthen seed systems through sustained investment, innovation and supportive policies.
Linking seed investment to Africa’s agricultural ambitions
The summit’s recommendations are intended to advance the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration and Action Plan, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 development framework.
The summit’s concept note identified the mobilisation of sustainable public financing, private investment and an enabling regulatory environment as central objectives of the meeting.
It also highlighted differences in the development of national seed sectors, with some countries operating established breeding programmes and distribution networks while others face gaps in research capacity, seed certification and regulatory enforcement.
The African Union is seeking to use its Seed Sector Performance Index to monitor the health of national seed systems and track progress in addressing these constraints.
However, the success of the summit’s commitments will depend on whether governments allocate the necessary resources, research institutions develop varieties suited to local conditions, and seed producers establish distribution networks that reach farmers in time for planting.
For farmers, the measure of progress will be practical: whether quality seed is available when needed, whether it is affordable, and whether the resulting harvests improve household incomes and food security.