Maize dominates breeding, raising concerns over crop diversity and adaptability within the regional seed system. Eleven companies report active maize programs, more than double that of dry beans, soybean and tomato, the next most frequently bred crops. Field crops and legumes are bred more frequently than vegetables, with only three of the six specialized vegetable companies demonstrating broad breeding programs in the region itself. Global companies have more developed breeding programs, releasing double the number of new varieties. Consequently, for 61% of crops in their portfolio the youngest variety is less than three years old, compared to 29% for regional companies. Regional peers rely more on other seed companies and public research institutes for parent material and germplasm.
Integration with the World Benchmarking Alliance
The Access to Seeds Index is now part of the World Benchmarking Alliance. All indexes up to 2020 can be found here. New indexes and methodologies are published on the website of the WBA.
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