dc.description.abstract | As calls for a 'Uniquely African Green Revolution' gain momentum, a focus on seeds and seed
systems is rising up the agricultural policy agenda. Much of the debate stresses the technological or market
dimensions, with substantial investments being made in seed improvement and the development of both
public and private sector delivery systems. But this misses out the political economy of policy processes
behind this agenda: who wins, who loses, and whose interests are being served? Drawing on lessons from
country case studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe, as well as insights from a set of
complementary studies of cross-cutting themes, this article assesses the evolution of seed system research
and development programmes and processes across the region. By examining how the contrasting politics
and different configurations of interests affect the way cereal seed systems operate, it highlights
opportunities for reshaping the terms of the debate and opening up alternative pathways to more
sustainable and socially just seed systems. | en |