TASAI to participate in the 4th meeting of the ASBP Steering Committee

TASAI participated in the 4^th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Africa Seed and Biotechnology Program (ASBP) that took place in Mombasa, Kenya on 6-11 November 2023. The overall objective of the meeting was to review the progress to date in implementing the ASBP’s 10-year action plan. The meeting also sought to deepen collaboration between the Working Groups and Clusters of the ASBP platform and other actors. The Committee assessed the ASBP’s progress on implementing decisions and recommendations from its various engagements and events and gathered some lessons learned. TASAI leads the Monitoring and Evaluation component of the ASBP. The team delivered a presentation on the Seed Sector Performance Index (SSPI), highlighting the methodology and some emerging findings.

Participants also shared success stories from various initiatives related to seed sector development and biotechnology applications on the continent. Another issue discussed was the need for a code of conduct guiding the use of quality seed in emergencies that will inform country and regional planning efforts. In addition, the Committee discussed strategies to domesticate guidelines on the use of biotechnology in food and agriculture in Africa and continental guidelines for the harmonization of seed regulatory frameworks in Africa. It also validated the methodology for a forthcoming study on farmer-managed seed systems.