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By Annonciata Byukusenge – Eswatini
Partners at the inaugural African Union Seed Investment Summit call for inclusive seed systems, stronger partnerships, and smarter investment to close Africa’s seed access gap.
Quality seed is fundamental to Africa’s agricultural transformation, yet millions of farmers still lack timely access to improved varieties and quality planting materials. High costs, limited supply, weak distribution networks, scarce financing, and inadequate information prevent many farmers, particularly women, young people, and underserved communities, from benefiting from agricultural innovation.
Closing this gap requires inclusive seed systems that complement formal seed systems with farmer-managed approaches, backed by quality assurance processes, enabling policies, strategic investment, and strong partnerships. This was the clarion call of a side event on Inclusive Seed Systems hosted by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) during the inaugural African Union Seed Investment Summit in Eswatini, on Monday, 5th October 2026.
Addressing the event, Prof. Aggrey Ambali, Chair of the AATF Board of Trustees, said every ambition for African agriculture begins with a seed. “Seed is where farming begins. Whatever we hope to achieve for African agriculture, whether higher yields, food and nutrition security, resilience to a changing climate, or better incomes, depends on farmers having good seed of the right varieties when they need it,” said Prof. Ambali.
He noted that, for smallholder farmers, the seed chosen at planting can determine the outcome of an entire season. Although Africa has made steady progress in developing seed policies and institutions, the benefits must reach all farmers, including women, young people, and remote communities. Achieving this will require harnessing the complementary strengths of formal and farmer-managed seed systems and reinforcing the partnerships that link them.
Participants emphasized that quality seed for grain crops and planting materials for vegetatively propagated crops, including potatoes, cassava, and sweet potatoes, are essential for increasing productivity, strengthening food and nutrition security, building climate resilience, and improving livelihoods. They called for strategic public and private investment, supported by harmonized regulations and digital innovation, to move improved varieties more rapidly from research to farmers’ fields.
The discussions highlighted the complementary roles of formal and farmer-managed seed systems. Formal systems deliver improved varieties at scale, while farmer-managed systems support local adaptation, conserve agrobiodiversity, and serve remote communities. Stronger links between them can broaden farmers’ choices. Participants also called for women and young people to be supported not only as seed users but also as entrepreneurs, producers, distributors, and leaders throughout the seed value chain.
Participants further noted that delivering seed at scale depends on every part of the ecosystem, from research and early-generation seed production to certified seed production by seed companies, distribution, and last-mile delivery. Partnerships among governments, research institutions, seed companies, tolling services partners, farmer organizations, regional bodies, and development partners will be critical to implementing the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP) Action Plan and other African Union commitments.
Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, AATF Director of Programme Development and Commercialization, said Africa’s future will depend not only on the technologies it develops but also on how effectively those technologies reach farmers.
“No single institution can achieve this alone. Through stronger partnerships, reliable early-generation seed systems, innovative business models, enabling policies, and targeted investments, we can build inclusive seed systems that connect innovation to farmers at scale,” said Dr. Okogbenin.
He described inclusive seed systems as an economic and food-security imperative, as well as a pathway for empowering Africa’s women and young people to participate actively in agricultural transformation.
“If Africa is to achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and feed its growing population, we must ensure that quality seed reaches every farmer, every season, everywhere. Let us leave this summit with a renewed commitment to invest, collaborate, and act together,” he added.
Presenting the event’s theme, Dr. Munyaradzi Jonga, Seed Systems Manager at AATF, said inclusive seed systems should connect breeders, seed producers, enterprises, distributors, farmer organizations, markets, and communities to ensure that quality seed reaches every farmer.
“Strengthening these links can accelerate agricultural transformation, expand economic opportunities, and build a more food and nutrition-secure Africa,” Dr. Jonga said. He added that improved seed is among the highest-return agricultural technologies. Yet millions of farmers, particularly women, young people, underserved communities, and those in fragile areas, still lack reliable access to it. Closing this last-mile gap is essential to increasing productivity, strengthening resilience and food security, and raising rural incomes.
“Africa’s seed future lies in building inclusive, resilient, and investment-ready systems that complement formal seed systems and farmer-managed approaches to expand access to quality seed and planting materials and enable every farmer, especially women, young people, and underserved communities, to benefit from agricultural innovation that drives productivity, food security, and climate resilience,” said Dr. Jonga.
