Presentation by John Thompson and Hannington Odame at the event "The Political Economy of Agricultural Policy Processes in Africa", September 2014. http://www.future-agricultures.org/events/the-political-economy-of-agricultural-policy-processes-in-africa

1. The Politics of Seed in
Africa’s Green Revolution
Towards Integrated Seed
Sector Development
Hannington Odame
hsodame@gmail.com
John Thompson
j.thompson@ids.ac.uk
FAC London Policy Dialogue
ODI – 24 September 2014
www.future-agricultures.org

2. • 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

3. The Politics of Seed in
Africa’s Green Revolution

4. A new 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’

5. 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…

6. Analysing Policy Processes
Politics/
Interests
Discourses/
Narratives
Understanding policy
processes comes as a
result of looking at
the intersection of
these 3 overlapping
Actors/
Networks/
Practices
elements.
J. Keeley and I. Scoones, Understanding Environmental Policy Processes: Cases from Africa. London: Earthscan, 2003.

7. L. Sperling et al 2008. JDS

8. Planting
breeding, PBR,
priority setting
Seed aid
and relief
Governance
of seed/
innovation
systems
Seed systems
Regulation and
certification
Economics of
seed production
and distribution
Politics of
national and
global agri-food
systems
Politics and policy processes
Seeds and
livelihoods:
social-cultural
dimensions

9. 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….

10. 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?

11. Country Studies
1. 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?

12. 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

13. Ethiopia – Dawit Alemu
• 3 political–economic drivers push seed policy in different
directions
1. influence of top-down, state-driven initiatives
2. attitudes towards liberalisation and the private sector
3. 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

14. Zimbabwe – Charity Mutonodzo-
Davies and Douglas Magunda
• 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

15. Malawi – Blessings Chinsinga
• 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?

16. 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

17. Agro-dealers and the
Private Delivery of
Seeds and Technical Advice

18. 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

19. Commodity Focus

20. 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(%)
Seeds
10%
Others
40%
Vet Drugs
5%
Human Drugs
6%
Fertilizer
8%
Pesticides
10%
Feeds
9%
Building
Materials
12%

21. 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
services Source: PASS Farmers survey, 2013 (with GRA’s use permission)

22. 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

23. Reflections
• 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

24. 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)

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. ISSD Guiding Principles
Foster pluralism and build programmes upon a
Promote entrepreneurship and demand/market
Recognize the relevance of informal seed
orientation
Facilitate interactions between informal and
formal systems
systems
Enhance complementary roles of private and
public sector
diversity of seed systems
Work according to structure of the seed
value chain
Support enabling and policies for a dynamic
seed sector
Promote evidence based seed sector innovation

29. Facilitating Interaction between
Informal and Formal Systems
• Recognise informal seed systems
• Interaction between various components of the seed
value chain
variety
development
Release
seed
multiplication
PGR management
seed
dissemination
seed selection
production
diffusion
PPB, PVS
Seed bank, seed fair
(CBM)
Local seed outlets
Seed extension
Formal seed system
Informal seed system

30. 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)

31. 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 domain
3. Matching global commitments with national realities
4. 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 states
6. Informal seed systems and on-farm management

32. Approach
Collaboration 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

33. Thank You
• www.issdseed.org
• www.future-agricultures.org/issd-africa