For millions of African farmers, the seed they plant each season decides whether their families eat, whether their harvest survives a drought, and whether their livelihoods hold steady in a changing climate. That reality stood at the heart of an appeal issued Monday at the African Union Ministerial Seed Summit in Ezulwini, eSwatini, where delegates called for stronger seed systems across the continent.
“Seed is the foundation of agricultural production,” the Bureau of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment said in its statement. “It determines productivity, resilience, nutritional outcomes and the ability of farmers to respond to changing climatic conditions.” The statement was delivered by Julia Nambili, Deputy Director for Crop Research and Protection at Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, speaking on behalf of the Bureau.
Farmers across the continent are confronting droughts, floods, land degradation, emerging pests and rising food demand. These pressures have sharpened the need for crop varieties capable of withstanding drought, heat and pests as climate change advances.
Yet many farmers still cannot reach the seeds that could help them adapt. Millions continue to depend on informal systems because certified seeds remain unaffordable or simply out of reach. The Bureau pointed to weak production and distribution networks, limited investment in plant breeding and research, inadequate quality controls and poor implementation of regulations as the constraints holding the sector back.
Strong seed systems, the Bureau argued, are essential if African governments are to meet their commitments under Agenda 2063 and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Kampala Declaration.
To close the gap, the AU said national governments should strengthen agricultural research institutions, seed-certification services, breeding programmes and extension systems. Private companies, for their part, should support innovation, seed multiplication, processing, distribution and marketing through stronger partnerships with governments and research institutions.
The Bureau was also clear about who should sit at the center of reform. Women, young people and smallholder farmers should remain central to seed-sector reforms, while formal systems should complement farmer-managed approaches that support biodiversity and community resilience.
Cross-border cooperation featured prominently in the appeal. The Bureau called for harmonised seed policies and greater integration of African markets. “Facilitating the movement of quality seed across borders can significantly improve farmers’ access to improved varieties while stimulating investment, innovation and intra-African trade,” the statement said.
Namibia, meanwhile, pointed to its own experience, saying national investments were supporting crop research and the development of seed varieties adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions.
The Bureau also welcomed discussions on the Ezulwini Declaration on Africa’s Seed Systems, a document intended to strengthen political commitment and mobilise investment across the continent.
But the Bureau’s closing message looked past the summit hall to the fields where its words will be tested. “The true test of our success will not be the declarations adopted at this Summit, but the extent to which farmers across Africa gain greater access to quality seed, improved technologies and sustainable livelihood opportunities,” the statement said.