The African Seed Industry Decides to Establish an African Seed Trade Association

A First Step Towards the Organization of the Increasing US$ 1 Billion African Commercial Seed Market

The International Seed Trade Federation (FIS) convened on 8-10 April 1999 in Lilongwe, Malawi, a preparatory meeting for the establishment of an African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA). The meeting was organized with financial assistance and logistical support from the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Seed Company of Malawi (NSCM) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Malawi.

The meeting was attended by 74 participants, of which 39 represented seed trade associations and companies in 16 African countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Cost, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and six were from non-African seed trade associations or companies. The remaining participants mostly represented international organisations, development agencies, non-governmental organisations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Malawi.

Representatives of the African seed industry unanimously decided to establish an African Seed Trade Association, whose mission will be to provide a forum for interaction and information among African seed enterprises; to represent interests of African seed industries within Africa and globally and to promote the development of seed industries for the betterment of crop production in Africa.

AFSTA activities will be to improve communication between seedsmen in Africa by circulation of information and holding annual meetings; to improve communication between the African seed industry and the rest of the world; to facilitate African countries to establish national seed trade associations; to provide information to national associations; to interact with regional governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in seed activities in order to promote the interests of the seed industry; to promote activities that lead to regulatory harmonization throughout Africa to facilitate movement of seed; to develop a statistical database on African seed production and trade and to promote use of improved quality seed.

The association will cover all-Africa (including North Africa) and full membership will be open, on a voluntary basis, to national seed trade associations and seed enterprises from all African countries.

An Ad-hoc Committee (composed of representatives of the seed industry from Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe) was establish in order to address within the next 12 months remaining issues such as the constitution and by-laws, the work program, associate membership, funding and the location of the secretariat.

It was decided to have the foundation meeting of the African Seed Trade Association in March/April 2000.

It was finally decided that FIS Secretariat would be responsible for the secretariat of the Ad-hoc Committee (until the foundation meeting).

Lilongwe, 10 April 1999