Regulatory frameworks affecting seeds: Impacts on subsistence farmers in the eastern and southern African region

Abstract

With the current growth of the population in sub Saharan Africa, the need to produce and make available sufficient food for the needs of this population put agriculture one of the prominent development concerns in this part of the world. Using their traditional farming practice, small holder farmers currently play a significant role in food production. It is suggested that one critical factor which help this category of farmers to play this role is their ability to exercise their rights to handle seeds as they have been doing before the advent of the seed industry. Therefore to address food insecurity in Sub Saharan Africa, seeds related programmes, initiatives and regulatory framework need not undermine farmers' rights. Using the Eastern and Southern African regions, the chapter explores the extent to which current programmes (of pan African and sub-regional scope) and regulatory frameworks impact on smallholder farmers' rights and suggest the way forward.