Farmer seeds, plants of the future for healthy and sustainable nutrition

 

Farmer seeds, plants of the future for healthy and sustainable nutrition

The COASP and COPAGEN, their members and allies are outraged by the drive of our regional institutions to harmonize the regional seed legislation for the benefit of the seed industry in particular and the agrochemical sector in general.

We consider a shame that the Regional Committee for Seeds and Plants of West Africa (ECOWAS-CILSS-UEMOA) met in Dakar, from 9 to 11 July 2018, with seed stakeholders from seventeen countries ( 16 West African countries, plus Chad) in the notable absence of Farmer Organizations (FOs) and independent civil society organizations, to assess progress in implementing the harmonized regional seed regulation.

"All that is done for you without you is against you" goes the saying. The COASP, COPAGEN and AFSA (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa) are, among other organizations of the civil society (CSO), independent, very active actors on the seed both at regional, and continental levels. They learned about this consultation through the online press. In addition, we can see on the participants and guests list, some infamous organizations mainly interested in trade and profit regardless of the socio-environmental impacts of their actions. This lack of transparency and inclusivity strongly suggests that this is a plot that is being mounted against farmers and food sovereignty.