Eswatini, October 2026

AFRICA’S ABILITY TO FEED ITSELF BEGINS WITH THE SEED:

Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 was held in Eswatini

The Africa Ministerial Seed Summit, convened by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini, was held in Ezulwini from 5 to 7 October 2026 under the theme “Resilient Seed Systems for a Food Secure Africa”. This continental summit brought together delegates from African countries, representatives of Development Partners (DPs), research institutions and the private sector. Mr Kota MIYAZAKI, Technical Coordinator (TC) of the CARD Secretariat, participated in the summit.

The Ezulwini Outcome Document, adopted by ministers, sets out commitments to improve affordable and timely access to quality seed and planting materials, particularly for smallholder farmers, women and young people.　These commitments include increased investment in plant breeding, research and seed enterprises, and supporting types of crops that are productive, nutritious and can cope with climate change. The document also recognizes that farmer-managed seed systems are an important part of Africa’s agricultural capacity. It calls for greater support for community seed banks, farmer networks and local businesses, protection of farmers’ rights, and fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Ministers called for the establishment of an African Seed and Gene Bank System that works across the continent, with the continental institution working together with national and regional gene banks. The proposed system would make conservation stronger and support the use of Africa’s plant genetic resources in research and future production. The aim is to make quality seeds easier to get across borders. This will be done by making sure that the rules and standards for seeds are the same in all countries in Africa, and by reducing the barriers to trade in seeds between African countries.

The outcome document and its recommendations will be submitted through the appropriate African Union policy organs for consideration, validation and formal endorsement.

Since its launch in 2008, CARD has been promoting the development of National Rice Development Strategies (NRDS), including the rice seed sector in each of its member countries. The number of countries has now expanded to 37, covering almost all rice-producing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. During Phase 1 (2008-2018), CARD had also supported the elaboration of the National Seed Development Strategy (NSDS) in some countries.

After launching Phase 2, CARD adopted the “RICE” approach that is composed of Resilience (R), Industrialization (I), Competitiveness (C) and Empowerment (E) components. The approach integrates value chain development, capacity building and strong partnership with the private sector as cross-cutting priorities. The (R) handles adaptation to climate change through seed breeding and dissemination as well as irrigation development. The (C)includes dissemination of certified seeds and improvement of post-harvest technologies.

CARD Secretariat will continue to support the development of the rice seed sector in each country through the formulation and implementation of NRDSs and the RICE approach.