"You can’t grow alone" - Prioritized sustainable seed system development options for staple food crops in sub-Saharan Africa: Cases of Kenya and Mali.

This paper results from a study that was commissioned to contribute to the Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI). The overall purpose was to propose an agenda for supporting sustainable development of seed systems in two Sub-Saharan countries, Kenya and Mali, based on the experiences and insights of seed system actors who contribute to various functions and operate at different scales. In Kenya, most breeding for staple cereal crops is done by public breeding programmes, while some private breeding companies are also active. Seed production is mostly based on contracts between seed companies and large-scale farmers. In Mali, all breeding for staple cereal crops is done by public breeding programmes, with small farmer-managed seed enterprises being engaged in seed production and dissemination in their geographical areas. Collaboration between breeders and farmer cooperatives is extensive and crucial for the development and spread of new varieties, since the purchase of certified cereal seed by Malian farmers is quite a novelty. Important conclusions are that sustainable seed system development requires more actor-orientation, with a central focus on farmers’ capacities and needs.