Conference session: Monday 21st June 13:00. Join this discussion session and help shape policy recommendations on cost-effective, novel quality assurance mechanisms.

This session has taken place. A recording will be shared on this website in due course.

Quality assurance mechanisms need to be financially sustainable in their local context; therefore, there have been calls across countries to support the development of more cost-effective quality assurance mechanisms involving both public and private sectors.

This requires evidence, to provide policy options and facilitated dialogue among seed system stakeholders. This can contribute to improving the policy environment so that there is both: increased transparency for the private sector to invest in the quality assurance process; and, advocacy for greater public financing of seed-related public goods.

We foresee that appropriate evidence-based policy recommendations will lead to better recognition and investment in less costly approaches to seed quality assurance. This may include: decentralization; accreditation of private inspectors, and variants on quality declared seed approaches; the use of novel diagnostic and ICT approaches that will help reach scale for seed value chains less attractive to the private seed sector.

In this discussion session, we will explore emerging insights from research and discuss viewpoints on how to promote these novel applications more widely used.

Speakers (pending confirmation)

Moderator

  • Lava Kumar, Head of Germplasm Health Unit, IITA and CGIAR Reserch Programme on Roots Tubers and Bananas (RTB)

Presenters

  • Margaret McEwan, Senior Scientist, CIP and CGIAR Research Programme on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB).
  • Lava Kumar, Head of Germplasm Health Unit, IITA and CGIAR Reserch Programme on Roots Tubers and Bananas (RTB)
  • Bramwel Wanjala, Research Scientist, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO)

Panelists

  • George Ngundu, Plant Quarantine and Biosecurity Station of Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)
  • Elohor (Mercy) Diebiru‐Ojo, GoSeed
  • Representative, National Agricultural Seeds Council of Nigeria
  • George Swella, Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute

Prepare for the session:

Session partners:

_