Seed companies from all over the world were represented at the annual meeting of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) in Cairo, Egypt from 27 February to 1 March. The Access to Seeds Index team used this opportunity to discuss the development of the upcoming Access to Seeds Index with companies and to learn about current developments in the African seed industry.
During the congress, many important issues were on the agenda, such as tackling fall armyworm, climate change impacts on crop production and harmonizing seed regulations in the region. In all areas, the need for partnerships within and outside the seed industry was emphasized. In their meetings, the Access to Seeds Index team highlighted that the role of partnerships to tackle global and regional issues will be addressed in the upcoming Access to Seeds Index.
Following the positive responses to the 2016 Regional Index for Eastern Africa, the 2019 Access to Seeds Index will include regional indexes for Western and Central Africa and for Eastern and Southern Africa. For both indexes, 22 leading companies have been selected.
Data collection for the index will take place during spring and summer of 2018. Companies will be invited to participate in the data collection process. The publication of the African Access to Seeds indexes is scheduled for the beginning of 2019.
