Official Newsletter of the WANA Seed Network
No. 37,
June 2009
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News, views and suggestions on the seed industry are included in this section. It is a forum for discussion among seed sector professionals.
Quality Declared Seed Production: Opportunity for Small-scale Farmers
Background
The formal seed system, with the exception of truth-in-labeling, requires mandatory varietal and seed certification where seed production fields are inspected and seed lots are tested for quality for commercialization of certified seed. Such mandatory system requires huge physical, financial and human resources, which is far beyond the reach of many developing country certification programs.
In the 1980s, FAO proposed an alternative seed certification scheme called Quality Declared Seed (QDS) to compliment stringent and costly mandatory certification system, based on four key elements:
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Listing varieties eligible for production under QDS program. |
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Registering seed producers with appropriate national seed certification authority. |
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Field inspection of only 10% of the seed crops by the national authority. |
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Laboratory testing of only 10% of the seed lots by the national authority. |
Adoption of QDS in Tanzania
The QDS system as outlined by FAO1 is not designed to replace a fully developed existing seed certification program, but proposes an alternative which requires fewer demands on government resources, and yet still provides good quality seed in countries with limited resources for seed certification. The QDS is an alternative way to reach small-scale farmers who do not have access to, and so do not use, certified seed for crop production. In Africa, for example, 90-95% of small-scale farmers use farmer-saved seed for crop production.
In 2001, the Government of Tanzania modified and adopted the QDS system and incorporated it into the national Seeds Act (2003) and its seed rules, regulations, procedures and guidelines (2007). It allowed interested farmers to organize themselves to produce and market seed under QDS system. In Tanzania, QDS was successfully introduced in a sustainable way to small-scale farmers, and today more than 90% of districts have included QDS production in their areas using government district funding.
In Tanzania, QDS addresses the key gap between formal sector certified seed supply and small-scale farmers demand for quality seed and access to new improved varieties. QDS is of higher quality, but still sold at lower and affordable prices. The seed price is set by local market condition in the ward or the district. It builds on demand for better quality seed and better varieties.
The need for additional certified seed cannot be met by formal sector only. Therefore, QDS should be recommended for other countries as well to boost local seed trade and to build a solid base for supply and use of certified seed. It should be seen as a foundation for an efficient and effective seed industry.
Procedures for production of QDS
QDS is produced by a registered and trained small-scale farmer or a group of small-scale farmers engaged in producing seed for sale to neighboring farmers within the ward where the seed is produced.
A farmer who wishes to become a QDS producer must submit an application to the national official certification agency. Authorized district seed inspectors inspect only 10% of all seed production fields (spot-check controls) and sample the seed lots. The national official certification institute tests the seed; and seed lots that pass quality tests are approved as QDS and sold to farmers.
Lessons learned - the advantages of QDS
The QDS producers, who are professionally trained in QDS production, can have a sustainable business. A QDS producer starts up seed production with an assured market and income, to secure the seed production and to avoid financial problems. It is essential to build up a sustainable production to secure that a crop and a variety can be sold in the area; and that the producer knows her/his customers- the market.
For sustainability of QDS production, it is also essential that each trained producer has a partner or an associate who will take over the seed production for the village, if the seed producing farmers are not able to continue with the seed business. It is also recommended only to produce quantities that can be sold the same year.
To avoid conflicts in the seed market it is recommended not to produce QDS for crops or varieties which are already successfully supplied through formal seed trade in that area.
The QDS producers can be the future seed producers for seed associations, retailers or future seed business owners/seed traders or seed companies, or owners of other businesses.
QDS production gives female seed producers good opportunities to start up small businesses, to sell seed of crops and varieties important for food security in the target areas.
The advantage for the small-scale crop producing farmers - future users and buyers of QDS - are that they can choose the crops of interest for their markets where certified seed is not available. They are introduced to new varieties and/or new market opportunities through demonstrations. Furthermore, they choose their variety preferences and are introduced to new technologies when they use quality seed, needed for stable crop production and food security.
All farmers in the QDS production area are in a close contact with other stakeholders in the seed chain, wholesalers, grain and final product buyers. It is important that the farmers in the rural areas where QDS is produced also are assisted, in a value chain approach.
In general, good knowledge about seed quality and the use of better varieties are essential for better crop production and higher yields. By combining QDS production of food and vegetable crops, this safeguards the small-scale farmers by making it possible for them to earn a better livelihood through increased and more stable production, improved income generation and increased nutritional security.
It is costly for the seed trade to reach all areas in a country, where farmers are not used to buy and use certified seed. If seed companies/ seed traders decide to distribute seed to retailers in the villages they are often faced with many obstacles. Small-scale farmers who buy certified seed can normally only afford to buy very small quantities. Further compounding the problem is that farmers often do not know the varieties and they first must be demonstrated. The buyers and markets for grain or final products do not exist or are not known, roads are not accessible, etc.
The advantages of QDS for the seed trade are that farmers will have better awareness and borader knowledge and demand for better varieties and good seed quality. There is a closer contact with the farmers and other stakeholders and the plant breeders will easily focus their work on farmer needs. QDS is a good way to minimize the gap to the private seed industry and to improve the seed trade and food production. Furthermore, the seed trade gets a better understanding of the local seed market.
Ms Britt Granqvist, Director and Sole-owner, BriAgri ApS Consultancy Company, Copenhagen, Denmark; E-mail: briagri@briagri.dk (formerly Advisor and Consultant of DANIDA Seed Program, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania).
Investment Fund for African Seed Companies Launched
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the African Agriculture Capital (AAC), a venture capital investment fund that invests in several small African seed companies, launched the African Seed Investment Fund (ASIF). The first fund of its kind in the continent, ASIF will invest in at least 20 small- and medium-size seed companies in Southern and Eastern Africa over the next five years. The fund will operate in eight countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The AGRA-AAC partnership aims to jumpstart a well-capitalized, competitive and efficient regional seed industry. Another goal of the partnership is to increase the participation of African seed companies in the global seed market, which is estimated at USD 30 billion. Up to US$ 100,000 will be provided to small-scale seed businesses to be paid back within two years. Medium-size companies, on the other hand, can apply for loans of up to a maximum of US$ 1.5 million, payable within three years. For more information visit the website at http://www.agra-alliance.org/content/news/detail/920/
AFSTA Congress 2009 in South Africa
The Ninth Annual AFSTA Congress was held from 2-6 March 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. Mr. Paul Marais, Chairman of the South African National Seed Organization (SANSOR) chaired the opening ceremony. Two hundred and thirty delegates from 35 countries including representatives from regional and international organizations such as the African Organization for Intellectual Property (OAPI), the African Regional Intellectual Property Right Organization (ARIPO), ISF, ISTA, APSA, UPOV and FAO attended the congress. With "seed trade" as main topic of the Congress 2009, it was an excellent opportunity for the delegates to discuss and exchange information and views amongst themselves.
The congress was preceded by two half-day workshops. The first was on Plant Variety Protection, facilitated by the UPOV. The presentations were followed by question and answer sessions that allowed the delegates to deepen their knowledge on the subject. The second workshop was on seed care and facilitated by Syngenta, during which experts in seed treatment presented various topics such as seed care application machinery, seed safety and carryover of treated seeds, operator safety and stewardship, and the global seed care market, among others.
All important topics were well attended which included: the strengths and weaknesses of the seed trade in Africa and world seed trade; promoting seed trade in Africa; opportunities, constraints and latest development on seed trade in Africa; the African seed industry in the face of the food crisis; strategy for the implementation of the harmonized seed regulations for promotion of seed trade; and analysis of the status of commercialization and use of biotech crops in Africa.
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AFSTA
Congress delegates during the opening ceremony
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The objectives of AFSTA continue to be the organization of technical training related to seeds to build capacity of its members in 2009/10 among others, creating awareness of its membership on the latest developments in technology in relation to seeds and seed marketing. It will continue to actively support the harmonization of seed legislation processes in the sub-regions.
During the AFSTA General Assembly 2009, a new AFSTA Board was elected and eight new AFSTA members were approved. The AFSTA annual Congress has indeed proved itself an international event to look forward to, and the focus is now cast on the next AFSTA Congress from 1-5 March 2010 in Bamako, Mali. The National Organizing Committee for the AFSTA Congress 2010 has already begun preparations to ensure that the Congress meets all expectations.
Justin Rakotoarisaona, Secretary General of AFSTA; E-mail: afsta@afsta.org
World Seed Congress 2009 in Antalya, Turkey
The most important event in the calendar of the International Seed Federation (ISF) is its annual congress, where all the activities carried out during the year are summarized and presented to its members. In 2009, the World Seed Congress was held in Antalya, Turkey, and 1100 seedsmen and seedswomen with more than 200 accompanying persons participated in the 3-day event.
Participants at the various Crop Section Meetings heard reports on the Turkish seed industry. Working Groups, Committees and Sections discussed several important issues. Documents and position papers on subjects important to the seed industry were adopted. They include:
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ISF Rules and Usages for the Trade in Seeds for Sowing Purposes: These revised rules provide the framework for contracts between companies for production and international trade of seed. In addition, they provide the basis for settling disputes that may arise between contracting parties. This revision takes into account some important changes that have occurred in international trade not least due to the development of new technologies. |
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Revision to the ISF View on Intellectual Property Rights: The revision reflects advances in technology and their implications for the use of molecular markers for DUS testing in PVP applications. |
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Position paper on Farmers' Rights: The seed industry expressed its views on the subject in the context of the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources in Food and Agriculture. |
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Position paper on 'Bio-energy - The role of plant breeding and the seed industry': This paper was developed by the ISF Field Crops Section and highlights the role of plant breeders in providing a wide range of crops and varieties, efficient when used as a natural resource and that minimize competition between food, feed and energy. |
An interim report of a study on systems in place to collect royalty on farm-saved seed in ISF member countries was also presented. The responsible working group has audited several royalty collection systems with the aim of analyzing the mechanisms used and has developed an indicator of their efficiency in terms of remuneration to breeders.
A post congress workshop was dedicated to phytosanitary regulations, with the goal of fostering a greater understanding of phytosanitary procedures that impact the international movement of seed. Almost 100 representatives of the seed industry and the Turkish plant protection authority attended this event. The participants heard about and participated in discussions on an array of topics including phytosanitary certification, country of origin and re-export, transparency and availability of information on national phytosanitary regulations and problem solving. The next World Seed Congress in 2010 will be held in Calgary, Canada.
ISF also hosted a meeting between FAO and the regional seed associations as a follow up to the Private Sector Consultation workshop held at FAO on 25-26 Feb 2009. The purpose of the meeting was to explore future collaborations between FAO and regional seed associations. There was a clear expression of willingness for a deeper engagement between the seed associations and FAO to work for the development of seed systems particularly in developing countries.
Radha Ranganathan, ISF, Geneva, Switzerland; E-mail:, r.ranganathan@worldseed.org
Global Area of Biotech Crops Continue to Increase
According to the International Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), consistent and substantial economic, environmental and welfare benefits offered by biotech crops, led millions of small and resource-poor farmers around the world to continue planting more hectares of biotech crops in 2008, the thirteenth year of commercialization.
ISAAA reported that the global area of biotech crops has reached a record 125 million ha in 2008, from 114 million ha in 2007. About 13.3 million farmers planted biotech crops in 2008 in 25 countries, up from 1.3 million in 2007. In 2008, the number of countries planting biotech crops include 15 developing countries and 10 industrial countries. Bolivia become the ninth country in Latin America to adopt biotech crops in 2007, while Burkina Faso in Africa began planting biotech cotton, and Egypt planted biotech maize for the first time in 2008.
The largest plantings of biotech crops were in the United Sates with 62.5 million ha followed by Argentina (21 million ha), Brazil (15.8 million ha), Canada and India (each 7.6 million ha), China (3.8 million ha), Paraguay (2.7), and South Africa (1.8 million ha). The remaining 17 countries, which grew biotech crops in 2008 in decreasing order of area were: Uruguay, Bolivia, Philippines, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Burkina Faso, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Egypt.
Biotech soya bean continued to be the most popular, planted on 65.8 million ha, followed by biotech maize planted on 37.3 million ha and biotech cotton planted on 15.5 million ha. From the genesis of commercialization in 1996 to 2008, herbicide tolerance has consistently been the dominant trait. In 2008, herbicide tolerance deployed in soybean, maize, canola, cotton and alfalfa occupied 63% (79 million ha) of the global biotech area of 125 million ha.
The stacked trait products were by far the fastest growing trait group between 2007 and 2008 at 23% growth, compared with 9% for herbicide tolerance and 6% for insect resistance. Stacked products are a very important feature and future trend, which meets the multiple needs of farmers and consumers and these are now increasingly deployed by ten countries - USA, Canada, Philippines, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Honduras, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina (seven of the 10 are developing countries).
In 2008, the number of farmers benefiting from biotech crops globally in 25 countries reached 13.3 million, an increase of 1.3 million over 2007. From a global 13.3 million beneficiary biotech farmers in 2008, (up from 12 million in 2007), remarkably over 90% (12.3 million up from 11 million in 2007) were small and resource-poor farmers from developing countries. The balance of 1 million were large farmers from both industrial countries (the USA and Canada) and developing countries (Argentina and Brazil). From 12.3 million small and resource-poor farmers, most were Bt cotton farmers, 7.1 million in China (Bt cotton), 5 million in India (Bt cotton), and the balance of 200,000 in the Philippines (biotech maize), South Africa (biotech cotton, maize and soybeans often grown by subsistence women farmers) and the other eight developing countries which grew biotech crops in 2008. The largest increase in the number of beneficiary farmers in 2008 was in India where an additional 1.2 million more small farmers planted Bt cotton which now occupies 82% of total cotton, up from 66% in 2007. The increased income from biotech crops for small and resource-poor farmers represents an initial modest contribution towards the alleviation of their poverty.
In 2008, the global market value of biotech crops, estimated by Cropnosis, was US$7.5 billion, (up from US$6.9 billion in 2007) representing 14% of the US$52.72 billion global crop protection market in 2008, and 22% of the approximately US$34 billion 2008 global commercial seed market. The value of the global biotech crop market is based on the sale price of biotech seed plus any technology fees that apply. The accumulated global value for the twelve-year period, since biotech crops were first commercialized in 1996, is estimated at US$49.8 billion, which when rounded off to US$50 billion is a historical landmark for the global biotech crop market. The global value of the biotech crop market is projected at approximately US$8.3 billion for 2009.
Source: ISAAA Brief 39-2008: Executive Summary
Awareness of Biotech Crops in Pakistan
The Pakistan community was briefed on the global status of commercialized biotech/genetically modified crops for 2008 during a press conference and scientific communication workshop in Karachi, Pakistan. Organized by the Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center (PaBIC), the conference sought to give the latest information on the global trends regarding biotech crops released by the ISAAA. Notably, the high adoption rate among small and resource-poor farmers particularly in developing countries and increasing number of countries commercializing biotech crops were emphasized.
The challenge of feeding the growing population using modern biotechnology was stressed but, the major constraints to biotech research and development are technical skills, infrastructure, funds, the education system, and lack of professionalism. For more information, contact iqbal.choudhary@iccs.edu or visit the website (http://www.pabic.com.pk/24%20 March,09%20Launching%20of%20ISAAA%20breif%2039%20articles.html).
International Treaty Push for Farmers' Rights
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Governing Body met in Tunis, Tunisia from 1-5 June 2009. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT/PGRFA) treaty was established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001. The treaty aims at promoting conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use of those resources.
The Governing Body (GB), the treaty's highest organ, is composed of all member governments and meets at least once every two years; and promotes the full implementation of the treaty. The GB met from 1-5 June in Tunis, Tunisia and one of the highlights of this third session was the implementation of a multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing through the treaty's benefit-sharing fund. The fund is intended to be self-sustaining and is aimed at supporting conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA. To date the funds of the benefit-sharing are voluntary contributions from the governments of Norway, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, and is the first multilateral mechanism providing financial support as a way to share benefits arising from access to plant genetic resources.
However, those who access genetic material through the multilateral system agree that they will freely share any new developments with others for further research, or, if they want to keep the developments to themselves, they agree to pay a percentage of any commercial benefits they derive from their research into a common fund to support conservation and further development of agriculture in the developing world.
During the meeting, the GB announced 11 new projects on biodiversity conservation in research institutions, and financed by a benefit-sharing fund. Some of the projects include characterization and genetic enhancement of finger millet in western Kenya; on-farm conservation of local durum and bread wheat in Morocco; and conservation, dissemination and popularization of farmer-developed varieties by establishing village level enterprises in India. It also includes the contribution of traditional methods for the in situ conservation and management of maize in Cuba; the conservation and sustainable use of native potato diversity in Peru; and the on-farm conservation and in vitro preservation of citrus local varieties and sustainable utilization in Egypt. Most organizations who submitted the projects are publicly funded institutions such as universities, research institutes, and a gene bank, which raised concerns among civil society representatives on inclusion of farmers and the source of funding mechanism.
For the next cycle of project funding (2010-11), authority for the execution will be delegated to the bureau. The Secretariat will prepare a list of treaty members that are eligible for support under the benefit-sharing fund, based on a complete list of developing countries derived from the most recent World Bank classification of economies. All information generated by projects funded through the benefit-sharing fund shall be made publicly available within one year of the completion of the project, according to the Governing Body's third session.
Via Campesina, an international movement of peasants with members from 56 countries, issued a declaration on 2 June saying that biodiversity could not be preserved and renewed without the recognition of farmers' rights defined by the treaty. This particularly includes those rights - defined in Article 9 - on the preservation, use, exchange and sale of their seeds, and their participation in national decision-making, as well as the protection of their traditional knowledge.
The Governing Body on the last day of the session took a resolution on the implementation of Article 9 on farmers' rights. The resolution invites each contracting party to consider reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting its national measures affecting the realization of farmer's rights. It also encourages contracting members to submit views and experiences on the implementation of farmers' rights as set out in Article 9, involving farmers' organizations and other stakeholders.
Source: Intellectual Property Watch, 22 June 2009
Monsanto Establishes International Scholars Program
Monsanto Company announced the establishment of a scholarship program that will support students interested in improving research and production in rice and wheat. Monsanto's Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program honors the accomplishments of plant breeding pioneers Henry Beachell and Norman Borlaug, the fathers of the Green Revolution. Beachell's and Borlaug's contributions have led to the development of improved rice and wheat varieties which saved more than a billion people from starvation. The announcement marks the celebration of Borlaug's 95th birthday in March 2009. Monsanto allocated US$10 million for the scholarship program, which will be administered by Texas AgriLife Research for the next five years. AgriLife Research is an agency of the Texas A&M University System.
Rice and wheat are considered by many to be the most important staple crops in developing countries, providing the necessary calories to feed billions of people every day. Many of the world's poorest people rely on these two grains as a key source of food. In 2008, farmers produced nearly 440 million metric tonnes of rice and more than 680 million metric tonnes of wheat. Yet, yields of rice and wheat have grown with a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 0.8% over the past decade, while the population has grown with a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 1.25% during the same time period. Accelerating yield growth will help to reduce hunger by helping to produce more food on the same number of acres.
Students interested in applying to the program can learn more about the scholarship at http://www.monsanto.com/mbbischolars
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1) FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper No. 117, (1993, ISSN 0259-2517) and No.185 (1998, ISSN 0259-2517)