The Role of Seed
Timely availability of improved seeds at affordable prices is critical to improving food security, resilience, and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Africa. Improved seeds can deliver state of the art technology to farmers including higher yields, disease and pest resistance, climate change adaptation, and improved nutrition. Over the last two decades, formal seed systems in Africa have been gradually liberalized resulting in increased participation of private seed enterprises (multinationals, regional and domestic companies).
What is TASAI?
- The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) monitors indicators that are essential to seed sector development at national level.
- TASAI gives an annual scorecard on the vibrancy or competitiveness of the formal seed sector.
- TASAI is a useful tool for government policy makers, development agencies, seed enterprises, and ultimately farmers.
TASAI Goals and Objectives
Timely availability of improved seeds at affordable prices is critical to improving food security, resilience, and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Africa. TASAI seeks to promote the creation and maintenance of enabling environments for competitive seed systems serving smallholder farmers. It is this enabling environment that TASAI seeks to measure, track, and compare across African countries. The intended outcome of the index is improved access to locally adapted, affordable, and high-quality seed of improved varieties by smallholder farmers in Sub- Saharan Africa.Focusing on Africa, TASAI advances Sustainable Development Goal 2, to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture"
