Access to seed in the African agricultural environment remains a challenge for many (small-scale) farmers despite numerous efforts to address the problem.
Seed systems in Africa are viewed as being constituted by two parts: a formal system, and a farmer-managed seed system (also referred to as informal seed system).
The development of new plant varieties requires long term investments, and breeders’ rights are considered essential to encourage investments in plant breeding Society in general, and farmers specifically, benefit from breeders’ rights by making use of a wide range of new and improved varieties that are resilient to environmental stressors (e.g. drought, salinity, diseases) and/or increase crop productivity. Farmers’ rights’, on the other hand, are understood to mean among others, the right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed/propagating material. Whether breeders’ rights and farmers’ rights to seed are in conflict or complementary is an ongoing discussion, and ultimately depends on the provisions in national legislation.