Ministers endorse the African Seed Sector Performance Index Status Report during the Inaugural African Union Ministerial Seed Summit

The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) participated in the inaugural African Union Ministerial Seed Summit, convened by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini in Ezulwini from 5–7 October 2026. Under the theme “Resilient Seed Systems for a Food-Secure Africa,” the summit brought together ministers of agriculture, senior government officials, and more than 1,000 seed-sector stakeholders from research institutions, the private sector, development partners, NGOs, civil society, and farmer organizations.

Officially opening the Summit on 6 October, His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini emphasized that seed is central to Africa’s food sovereignty and that the continent’s future will be shaped by who controls, produces, and invests in it.

The Ministerial Summit considered three key documents: the 2025 Africa Seed Sector Performance Index (ASSPI) Status Report, the Farmer-Managed Seed Systems Policy Framework, and the revised 10-year Action Plan for the Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme. Ministers and senior government officials approved all three. Together with the Ministerial Outcome Document, they establish commitments to expand affordable, timely access to quality seed and planting materials, particularly for smallholder farmers, women, and young people. The commitments include greater investment in plant breeding, research, and seed enterprises, as well as support for productive, nutritious, climate-resilient varieties that meet farmers’ needs.

Ministers recommended that the African Union Executive Council adopt the ASSPI as the continental framework for tracking progress, strengthening mutual accountability, promoting peer learning, and guiding policy and investment decisions. They also called on the AUC, working with AUDA-NEPAD and the Regional Economic Communities, to establish reporting and monitoring mechanisms, including periodic performance assessments under the ASSPI framework.

The Ministerial Outcome Document also recognizes Farmer-Managed Seed Systems as a critical part of Africa’s agricultural capacity. It calls for support to community seed banks, farmer networks and local enterprises, protection of farmers’ rights, and fair sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Ministers called for an integrated African Seed and Gene Bank System, with a continental institution working alongside national and regional gene banks. The system would strengthen conservation and enable Africa’s plant genetic resources to support research and future production.

Commitments to align seed policies and standards and remove barriers to intra-African trade aim to improve cross-border access to quality seed. Ministers also urged increased public and private investment, coordinated implementation, and regular progress monitoring.

Ministers recommended endorsing the revised African Seed and Biotechnology Programme Ten-Year Action Plan as the continental framework for accelerating seed-sector transformation, innovation, capacity development, and technology transfer.

The ASSPI is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC), AGRA’s Center of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA), and TASAI. It provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating national seed-sector performance and identifying opportunities to strengthen seed systems across Africa.

TASAI’s Contribution to Continental Seed Sector Assessment

Since 2013, TASAI has produced reliable data and analysis on African seed systems to inform evidence-based policy and investment decisions.

Drawing on this experience, TASAI contributed country-level data collection and analysis for the 2023 Seed Sector Performance Index (SSPI), covering 47 African Union member states. The assessment used 17 indicators spanning plant breeding, variety release, seed production, quality assurance, trade, and policy, providing a strong foundation for the 2025 ASSPI round.

The 2025 assessment applied the same indicators piloted in 2023 across 50 African Union member states. The continental average was 4.64 out of 10, indicating progress but also a continued need for targeted investment and stronger implementation. As the second ASSPI round, the assessment also enables changes in seed-sector performance to be tracked over time.

Turning Evidence into Action

For TASAI, the summit reaffirmed the value of reliable seed-sector data in shaping agricultural policy and investment across Africa.

Through continued collaboration with the African Union Commission, AGRA, and national stakeholders, TASAI remains committed to generating evidence that guides seed-sector development and strengthens institutional capacity.

Recognition of the ASSPI as the continental framework for monitoring progress, promoting accountability and peer learning, and guiding policy and investment marks a major milestone in this collaboration. It gives African governments and development partners stronger evidence to build competitive, inclusive, and sustainable seed systems and improve smallholder farmers’ access to quality seed.

The Africa Seed Sector Performance Index (ASSPI) Status Report for 2025 can be accessed online at https://tasai.org/asspi/. In addition to the full report, the website also contains the ASSPI Dashboard which allows users to view and download charts showing ASSPI data by country, Regional Economic Community, indicator and sub-indicator, and over time (2023 and 2025).