Conference session: Wednesday 23 June 12:00 CEST. Join this session to help synthesise clear policy recommendations as well as modalities to support to national regulatory bodies to implement sensible regulations.

Session concluded. Recording will be shared here in due course. Subscribe to the ISSD Africa newsletter to stay updated.

The diversity of seed sectors across Africa ensures there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ regulatory approach. Many governments and development partners are investing in the development of systems to regulate the seed sector and provide the certainty, protection and encouragement needed to stimulate and support seed business.

However, while the trend appears to favour strong governance and market management alongside strict, centralised quality control mechanisms, there is a realisation of the need for more dynamic and adaptive regulatory approaches supportive of crop, stakeholder and system specificities, and which align with on-the-ground realities and ambitions.

So how to progress? And what are the examples of success, or failure, from which lessons can be drawn? This discussion session pragmatically explores how regulatory bodies can be supported to identify, design and implement sensible regulation.

Panellists will discuss how national and international partners can contribute effectively to the evolution of sensible regulatory approaches that are sensitive to public and private realities, while encouraging a shift in roles and perceptions.

As this session draws heavily on the derived insights from other conference discussions around quality assurance and regulation, this is a fitting moment to join and help synthesise clear recommendations for policy-makers.  

Session objectives

  • Advance an understanding of sensible seed sector regulation
  • Explore examples of sensible regulations and/or innovations supportive of sensible regulation
  • Identify modalities of support to regulatory bodies to advance sensible regulatory approaches

Speakers (pending confirmation)

  • Marja Thijssen, Senior Advisor Seed Systems
  • Margaret McEwan, Senior Scientist, CIP
  • David Spielman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
  • Representative, ISSD Uganda
  • Representative, TASAI