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March, 2000
The South African National
Seed Organization (SANSOR) in close cooperation with the Seed Trade
Association of Kenya (STAK) and the International Seed Trade
Federation / International Association of Plant Breeders
(FIS/ASSINSEL) organized the Founding Congress of the African Seed
Trade Association (AFSTA) held in Pretoria, South Africa, 20-21 March
2000. This unique event was attended by 120 delegates from 21 African
countries and 7 other countries. FIS/ASSINSEL, the International Seed
Testing Association (ISTA), FAO, and the World Bank were represented,
and good wishes were conveyed by the International Union for the
Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Congress was opened by
Mr. Paolo Molinelli, President of the International Seed Trade
Federation (FIS). Mr. Molinelli stated that the founding of AFSTA is
another step in the international seed trade development. He stressed
that the mission of seed associations is to facilitate the free
movement of seed within reasonable regulations, for the benefit of
farmers, food production and sustainable agriculture.
Mr. Richard Helm,
Counseller for Agricultural Affairs at the US Embassy, was pleased to
note that African countries were now focusing on similarities rather
than on differences. He expressed the hope that AFSTA would serve as a
forum to promote synergies in a public-private partnership. He further
noted that the African seed industry should be integrated in the
global seed market.
Mr. Bruno Caron, Economic
and Commercial Counseller at the French Embassy, stated that African
countries must work together at a continental level and that the
establishment of an African association will allow African seedsmen to
play an active role in intergovernmental negotiations. Seedsmen should
be stakeholders in the harmonization at continental level of seed
related regulations.
Defining the profile of
the African seed industry is made difficult by the absence of good
statistical information. Mr. Wynand van der Walt, Project Manager of
SANSOR, presented draft statistics as a working document to be further
researched and developed by AFSTA. The total formal market was
estimated at USD 1 billion.
Modern biotechnology
offers a major tool in overcoming constraints in African agriculture
and in increasing efficiency and security in food production,
according to Mrs. Jocelyn Webster, Executive Director of AfricaBio.
This will require that African countries pool resources in research
and training, establish a database on information, and develop
appropriate guidelines and regulatory systems. Private-public sector
partnerships should be a priority.
Mr. Bernard Le Buanec,
Secretary General of FIS, reported on the work done since 1998 to
establish AFSTA. He reminded the participants that the decision to
establish an African seed trade association was taken in April 1999 in
Lilongwe, Malawi by the seed industry of 16 African countries. An
Ad-hoc Committee was established to work on the Constitution and
Bylaws of the Association, as well as on its budget, membership fee
structure, hosting country for the Secretariat, and place and date of
the Founding Congress. Mr. Nathaniel Tum, Chairman of the Ad-hoc
Committee, and Mr. Guy-Blaise Satsa, Vice-Chair of the Ad-hoc
Committee, presented respectively the proposed Constitution and
Bylaws, and the budget.
The interest in the new
Association was further expressed by the fact that 42 applications for
membership were submitted on the first day. These applications
comprised nine African national and sub-regional seed associations and
25 African seed companies. Applications for associate membership were
also received from two government seed divisions, one NGO, two service
providers to the seed trade and three parties from outside Africa.
The delegates reviewed the
Constitution and Bylaws of AFSTA and adopted the mission and
objectives of the Association (see box below).
AFSTA Mission and
Objectives
Mission
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Provide a forum for
interaction and information exchange within the African seed
industry.
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Represent interests of
the African seed industry, within Africa and globally.
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Promote the
development of the seed industry for the betterment of crop
production in Africa.
Objectives
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Promote use of
improved quality seed.
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Strengthen
communication within the African seed industry and with the world.
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Facilitate the
establishment of national seed trade associations in Africa.
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Provide information to
members.
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Interact with
regional, governmental and non-governmental organizations involved
in seed activities in order to promote the interests of the seed
industry.
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Promote activities
that lead to regulatory harmonization throughout Africa to
facilitate movement of seed.
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Develop a statistical
database on African seed production and trade.
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Facilitate exchange of
germplasm within the continent, subject to national laws and
international conventions.
The General Assembly
nominated a Board of Directors that reflected the spirit of the
Constitution in terms of geographical representation. The Board is
composed of Mr. Nathaniel Tum (Kenya), Mr. Guy-Blaise Satsa
(Cameroon), Mr. Samir El-Naggar (Egypt), Mrs. Carine Agossa (Ivory
Cost), Mr. Getahun Alemu (Ethiopia), Mr. Mouldi Ghanmi (Tunisia), Mr.
Vincent Gwarazimba (Zimbabwe), Mr. Demba Ndoye (Senegal), Mr. Emmanuel
Obinyan (Nigeria), Mr. Charles Price (Malawi), Mr. Imboasalamaniaina
Rabenasolo (Madagascar), Mr. Wynand van der Walt (South Africa).
Messrs. Tum, Satsa and El-Naggar were unanimously elected as
President, Vice-President and acting Past-President, respectively, and
constitute the Executive Committee.
The General Assembly
adopted a budget of US$ 105,000, decided that the main source of
revenues should be membership fees and recommended that after three
years the Association should be self-supportive.
Kenya was unanimously
ratified as the host country for the AFSTA secretariat. Until the
AFSTA Secretary-General is appointed, the Seed Trade Association of
Kenya (STAK) will provide secretarial assistance to AFSTA.
The General Assembly
decided to convene the 2001 congress in Egypt and the 2002 congress in
Cameroon.
At the end of the
Congress, the Board of Directors met to elaborate the AFSTA workplan.
The Executive Committee will meet in Rome in May 2000 on the occasion
of the FIS Congress, and the Board of Directors will meet next on July
7, 2000, in Nairobi.
For more information on
the African Seed Trade Association, please contact the Seed Trade
Association of Kenya (STAK):
STAK Phone: +254/2 713 619
P.O. Box 2581
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail:
stak@form-net.com
Fax: +254/2 713 671
Information on AFSTA will
be regularly updated on the Internet at:
worldseed.org/afsta.html
FIS news release
N2612 |
