Conference session: Tuesday 22 June 10:00 CEST. Join with leading companies as they discuss the context in which they operate and what lessons can be learnt for seed systems relevant to cereals and pulses.
This session has taken place. A recording will be shared on this website in due course.
Varietal replacement is an important topic in the field of seed sector development; it is relevant to private sector players, e.g. vegetables, ensure that their investments in R&D become available to farmers in the form of quality seed of new varieties.
For food security crops, where varietal development is the responsibility of CGIAR and NARS, but the supply of quality seed of new varieties is dependent on the continuum of formal, intermediary and informal seed systems, varietal replacement is not that straightforward. For crops as some cereals and legumes, intermediary and informal are critical fostering varietal replacement.
This session focusses on experiences of two globally leading companies in the vegetable sector in encouraging farmers continuous interest in new varieties, part of their business model but also as way to promote entrepreneurship in the horticulture sector. We will discuss the context in which they operate and what lessons can be learnt for seed systems relevant to cereals and pulses.
Session objectives:
- Position the discussion of the promotion of quality seed and new varieties within a context of varietal replacement
- Highlight and learn from distinct pathways for the vegetable sector
- Position these lessons within a pluralistic approach for the entire seed sector
Speakers:
Moderator
Walter de Boef, Senior Advisor Seed Systems, Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation
Presenters:
- Annet Kizza, East West Seeds Knowledge Transfer, Manager Knowledge Transfer
- Harald Peeters, Rijk Zwaan, Area Manager Africa, Sales Sub-Saharan Africa
Panel:
- Rutger Groot, East West Seed Knowledge Transfer, Chair the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer
- Sylvaine Coulibaly, Rijk Zwaan, Managing Director Breeding, Rijk Zwaan Tanzania