Agriculture: West Africa seeks to speed up the movement of seeds

Prior to the upcoming Kigali forum, more than 200 stakeholders from the agricultural sector have called for the simplified and expedited movement of seeds across West Africa.

Why It Matters

Agricultural productivity in West Africa is heavily reliant on the timely availability of high-quality, resilient seed varieties to combat climate volatility and crop diseases. Historically, the cross-border trade of agricultural inputs in the region has been hindered by inconsistent national regulatory frameworks, bureaucratic delays, and trade barriers. Harmonizing seed policies across regional trade blocs is widely seen by development experts as a critical step toward enhancing food security and boosting agricultural yields for smallholder farmers.