New plan launched with G7 to enhance Africa’s participation in the OECD seed certification scheme
The G7-OECD Joint Initiative: Strengthening Seed Certification Capacity in Africa will improve seed quality, boost yields and farmer incomes, and strengthen agricultural productivity across the continent.
The production of high-quality seed is fundamental to sustainable agriculture. Addressing the triple challenge facing food systems today - ensuring food security, supporting livelihoods, and doing so in an environmentally sustainable way - starts with seeds.
Together with the International Seed Federation and in collaboration with African Union institutions, the OECD and G7 have developed a plan for a long-term capacity-building program to enhance seed varietal certification systems in Africa.
Since the 1960s, OECD Seed Schemes have been certifying the varietal identity and purity of seed lots destined for international trade, ultimately ensuring farmers can trust the seed they are buying. Currently, over 70 000 varieties of agricultural crops are registered under the Schemes.
Leveraging this decades-long experience, the new G7-OECD five-year Initiative aims to boost African countries’ capacity to effectively certify seeds. Better certification is expected to reduce fraud, strengthen crop yields, and boost the growth potential of the agricultural sector in Africa.
New varieties of seeds offer important opportunities to improve input efficiency, meaning we can do more with less, including reducing water, fertiliser and pesticide use in agriculture. As most annual crops are established each season from seeds, the quality of these seeds can have a major impact on potential crop yield.
By ensuring access to consistently high-quality seeds, the OECD Seed Schemes contributes to food security and nutrition through productivity growth, improved resilience and quality improvement, all of which results in greater availability of nutritious food at lower prices.
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