The PASS Journey

212 Pages·2017·8.33 MB·English

Seeding an African Green Revolution
The PASS Journey
AGRA’s Program for Africa’s Seed Systems

Seeding an African Green Revolution
The PASS Journey
AGRA’s Program for Africa’s Seed Systems
Correct Citation: Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. (2017). Seeding an African Green
Revolution: The PASS Journey. Nairobi, Kenya: AGRA.
ISBN - 978-0-9980765-1-5
Copyright © 2017, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). All rights reserved.
The publisher encourages fair use of this material provided proper citation is made.
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
West End Towers, 4th Floor
Kanjata Road, Muthangari Drive, Waiyaki Way
P.O. Box 66773, Westlands 00800
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Managing Editors: Joe DeVries (AGRA) and Zuhura Masiga (AGRA)
Editor: Tiff Harris, TH Consulting Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
Design and Layout: Conrad Mudibo, Ecomedia Limited, Nairobi, Kenya
Photo Credits: AGRA, Joe DeVries, Shutterstock, Ecomedia
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions
of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) or its employees. Although AGRA has made every effort
to ensure accuracy and completeness of information entered in this book, we assume no responsibilities for errors,
inaccuracies, omissions or inconsistencies included herein.
The mention of specific companies, manufacturers or their products, whether or not these have been patented, does not
imply endorsement or recommendation or approval by AGRA in preference to others of a similar nature that are not
mentioned.
The descriptions, charts and maps used do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of AGRA
concerning the development, legal or constitutional status of any country.
Contents
Foreword ....................................................................................................................VI
Preface ......................................................................................................................VIII
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................X
Acronymns ...............................................................................................................XII
1 The Vision ........................................................................................................1
2 Catalyzing Capacity for African Crop Improvement ...................11
PASS – Addressing the Problem .............................................................................12
Program Components ............................................................................................14
Achievements of ACCI and WACCI .....................................................................17
A Sampling of PASS PhD Graduates Working in their Home Countries ..............18
MSc Training in Plant Breeding and Other Plant Sciences.....................................24
MSc Program Success Stories .................................................................................26
Post-graduate Student Training Results, 2007-2017 ...............................................28
Short-term Training Courses .................................................................................31
Key Impacts of the Training Programs ...................................................................33
Challenges and Lessons Learned ............................................................................33
Recommendations and Implications ......................................................................34
References ..............................................................................................................34
3 Crop Improvement for Africa .................................................................37
Improving African Crops and Their Adoption ......................................................38
Case Studies ...........................................................................................................39
Farmer Participation ...............................................................................................43
Linking Breeding Programs to Seed Producers ......................................................44
Creating Awareness of Crop Breeding ....................................................................45
Achievements .........................................................................................................45
Hybrid sorghum puts smiles on farmers’ faces ........................................................48
The 20 Critical Rules for a Modern Plant Breeder .................................................50
Lessons Learned and Recommendations ................................................................54
Emerging Initiatives ...............................................................................................55
References ..............................................................................................................59
The PASS Journey III
4 Setting Up Seed Companies in Sub-Saharan Africa ....................61
The PASS Model for Seed Enterprise Development .............................................66
Seed Grants ............................................................................................................67
Case Study 1: Toward food security and improved incomes in Uganda .................78
Case Study 2: Maslaha Seeds – tapping expertise and partnerships to become
a top seed company ......................................................................................80
Meru Agro Seed Company, Tanzania ....................................................................83
Nafaso, Burkina Faso ..............................................................................................84
Surprising the Skeptics ...........................................................................................85
Prioritizing private companies as grantees ..............................................................85
References .............................................................................................................87
5 Getting Improved Seeds to Smallholder Farmers through
Agro-dealer Networks .................................................................................89
Shining in a male-dominated field .........................................................................90
Agro-dealer Development: A Market-Driven Strategy ...........................................90
Mapping Agro-dealers to Improve Market Coverage ............................................100
Expanding the Network Brings Services Closer to Farmers ..................................101
Linking Seed Producers to Agro-dealers ...............................................................102
Cutting down the distance ...................................................................................104
Challenges and Lessons Learned ..........................................................................105
Conclusions ..........................................................................................................106
References ...........................................................................................................107
6 From Shelves to Farms Through Public-Private Partnerships 109
The Turning Point ...............................................................................................110
Getting Seeds to Farmers: An Arduous Task .........................................................112
Approaches Used ..................................................................................................113
Critical Factors for Adoption of New Varieties ....................................................117
Looking Ahead ....................................................................................................119
Challenges Facing Seed Commercialization in Kenya and Uganda ......................125
References ............................................................................................................126
IV Seeding an African Green Revolution
7 Toward an African Green Revolution – Scaling Seeds
and Complementary Technologies .....................................................129
The PASS and New Alliance Partnership .............................................................129
The Case for Senegal ............................................................................................131
The Scaling Seeds and Technologies Partnership .................................................132
Approach to Scaling .............................................................................................132
Cassava value chain investment in Mozambique ..................................................136
How Much Scaling? .............................................................................................138
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – Vehicles for Scaling .....................................139
Policy Reforms .....................................................................................................139
Preliminary Progress .............................................................................................139
Challenges and Lessons Learned ..........................................................................142
References ...........................................................................................................143
8 Seed Policy ......................................................................................................145
Overview of Seed Policies, Laws, Regulations, and Administrative Practices .......146
Seed Policies, Laws, Regulations, and Administrative Practices in PASS Countries 148
Experiences in Seed Policy Reforms ....................................................................151
Conclusion and Implications ...............................................................................154
References ............................................................................................................155
9 Results Measurement and Learning....................................................173
AGRA’s Strategy – A Tall Order ...........................................................................173
Measuring PASS Performance ..............................................................................173
Monitoring ...........................................................................................................174
Performance Reviews ............................................................................................175
Conclusion: A Parting Observation ......................................................................187
References ............................................................................................................187
10 It’s the Seed .......................................................................................................189
The PASS Journey V
Foreword
From the beginning, there was widely shared
enthusiasm for the new program among those
involved. Based on the vision that would quickly
emerge and the strong backing from two of the
world’s largest and most determined philanthropies,
we all felt that this new initiative could become a
game changer for Africa’s agricultural development.
While AGRA would eventually include a number
of thematic programs, it would start with a deep
commitment and focus on seed supply through the
Gebisa Ejeta “Program for Africa’s Seed Systems” (PASS), under
Distinguished Professor the leadership of Joe DeVries, then Deputy Director
Purdue University of Food Security at The Rockefeller Foundation.
Our year-long study would eventually recommend
In the summer of 2006, I was granted a an ambitious roll-out of PASS activities in 13
sabbatical leave from Purdue University, countries.
and chose to spend it at the Nairobi,
PASS was configured to provide solutions to key
Kenya base operations of The Rockefeller
bottlenecks to agricultural development in Africa.
Foundation. I had previously served as an
The program had four sub-components: tertiary
advisor to The Rockefeller Foundation’s program
education (to train African plant breeders); strategic
“Biotechnology, Breeding and Seed Systems
research (to develop new crop varieties); the creation
for African Crops”, and wanted to undertake a
of private seed companies (to produce and market
study of the African seed system to support the
seeds); and the establishment of agro-dealerships
Rockefeller Foundation program.
(through training of rural African shop-keepers
Just before I arrived Nairobi in October 2006, in small villages to stock seeds and fertilizers) to
I found out that plans had already changed. I increase access to agricultural inputs by smallholder
received a call from Gary Toenniessen, Director farmers. The vision for PASS programming was
of Food Security at The Rockefeller Foundation, sound. In the absence of functional extension
informing me of an agreement that had just been systems or effective public seed programs, the
signed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation PASS vision looked like it had all the elements of
to establish a new organization, the Alliance for a success. PASS programs also creatively mimicked
Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and asking the successful US Land Grant University model,
if I could join the team to engage in planning this with its tripartite functions of education, research,
new initiative. Of course, I was thrilled to get the and extension for the creation and dispensation of
invitation to participate. agricultural technologies for impact.
VI Seeding an African Green Revolution
For me, personally, the year with the AGRA team and that 600 new crop varieties of major African
helped strengthen and reaffirm my own sense crops were bred and released by PASS-supported
of purpose and will. It also gave me a chance breeding programs. PASS helped establish more
to contribute to the creation of AGRA and the than 100 local, private seed companies and
rolling out of PASS, and to share thoughts on trained nearly 20,000 agro-dealers. Together, these
how to address certain recalcitrant challenges in entities have been involved in the production and
smallholder agriculture. We learned a lot from each distribution of some 578,000 metric tons of seed.
other through impromptu debates in hallways and The greater impact will, of course, ensue when
intense, five-minute meetings in farmers’ fields these accomplishments are made sustainable and
and airport lounges. Long drives to and from seed smallholder farmers find it profitable to routinely
production fields and research stations afforded us get into the market for seed and fertilizer to boost
the luxury of analyzing the forces affecting seed their production and incomes.
supply in Africa down to the finer details.
The good news is that crop yields in several
Even with our new-found excitement, we knew countries are increasing for the first time in decades.
that this was going to be a long and grueling In some countries, such as Ethiopia and Rwanda,
journey, but we also knew that the team was well the evidence is clear that Africa’s smallholder
chosen, with highly committed and open-minded farmers are using new and improved hybrid seeds
practitioners who looked capable of going the and fertilizers in large numbers, leading to sharper
distance, giving us the hope that success would be upward trajectories in crop productivity and food
likely. We knew it was going to be a marathon, not supply than ever before. So much more remains to
a sprint; that it required teamwork and was not a be done, but now there is a proven way forward.
solo effort; and that it would be characterized by
The indispensable power of science, technology,
mutual benefits and partnerships with national and
innovation, and the marketplace premised in
international agricultural research organizations,
the creation of PASS and AGRA now appear
national policy makers, donor agencies, and the
prominently on the agenda of Africa’s governments
private sector. All in all, it was an exhilarating time
and donor agencies alike. Country-led initiatives
to be on the ground in Africa.
are becoming a mainstay. More and more young
Ten years later, I believe that the PASS team and African professionals are drawn to opportunities
their associates have reason to feel good about what in agricultural business and entrepreneurship. The
they have accomplished. The numbers support prospects for a truly African Green Revolution are
their pride and sentiment. AGRA reports that brighter than ever.
131 PhDs and 228 MSc graduates were trained;
Gebisa Ejeta
Distinguished Professor
Purdue University
The PASS Journey VII
Preface
had previously gone into the challenging world
of building sustainable seed systems for Africa’s
smallholder farmers.
Through more than 300 individual grants to
local institutions and private agri-businesses,
PASS helped to develop and strengthen more
than 100 African seed companies, develop nearly
20,000 agro-dealers to serve as a sustainable
distribution network for new seed and other
agricultural inputs and services, and ultimately
Dr. Agnes Kalibata
catalyze the production and sale of over 600,000
President
metric tons of certified seed of a wide range of
AGRA
staple food crops. Equally important, it allowed
AGRA and its partners to demonstrate that
A Africa’s smallholder farmers are not bound by
GRA’s Program for Africa’s Seed
tradition to continue living in a subsistence
Systems (PASS) was initiated in 2006
mode, but are in fact eager adopters of new
with funding from The Rockefeller
technologies, provided they are relevant to their
Foundation and the Bill & Melinda
needs and are made available locally at affordable
Gates Foundation. Over a period of 10 years,
prices. It is therefore not surprising that AGRA’s
PASS operated in 18 African countries with
work on seeds has catalyzed over 200 million
funding from these donors, plus additional
dollars of private investment in the seed sector
support from the United States Agency for
across the continent.
International Development, the Howard
G. Buffett Foundation, the Embassy of the The work of PASS was complemented by parallel
Netherlands in South Sudan, the Government interventions by AGRA in the areas of soil
of Korea, and the African Development Bank. health, improved markets, better agricultural
Establishing a viable system for the supply policies, stronger farmer organizations, and
of quality, high-yielding seed is an essential innovative finance, plus many other useful
component of agricultural transformation, and initiatives implemented by partner organizations.
has proven to be the most elusive goal for many Together, these initiatives are contributing to a
governments in Africa. The generous support new image of African agriculture that is far from
of these donor agencies, plus co-financing for the scenes of low productivity and widespread
many activities by African governments, allowed rural poverty of previous decades. Today in many
PASS to venture further than perhaps any group African countries crop yields are increasing,
VIII Seeding an African Green Revolution