1.
Enhancing Seed Trade
Lessons from the Access to Seeds Index 2019
Bangalore, 18 October 2019

2.
UN Agencies (2018): We are losing the fight against malnutrition,
because of climate change
Number of undernourished people
2005-2017 (millions)
World:
on the rise
Asia:
standstill
Africa:
on the rise
Latin America:
standstill
UN agencies
• Help farmers to adapt to climate change
• Improve access to new crop varieties
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2005 2010 2012 2014 2016 2017

3.
Scientific reports (2019):
“Without change, the global food system will destabalize the planet”
Food system transformation
Remain food production within planetary boundaries
• Climate
• Land
• Water
• Nutrients
• Biodiversity
Shift to healthier and sustainable diets
• Accessibility
• Agrobiodivers
• Nutritional value
• Plant-based proteins
• Better shelflife

4.
The Business and Sustainable
Development Commission:
$2.3 trillion growth market
Prioirity on global agenda
grows investor interest
Guide investor money to where it
matters most
You have got the spotlight

5.
Access to Seeds Index 2019 covers 62 seed companies,
including 45 SME’s from regions themselves
Source: Access to Seeds Index 2019 – Synthesis Report

6.
Access to Seeds Index: unique resource in the public domain
on seed industry performance in the global south
Individual scorecards of 62 companies
in active in the global south
Performance of the global seed industry
and regional industry in three key regions
Presence and portfolio of companies
across 65 countries in the global south
https://www.accesstoseeds.org

7.
1 East-West Seed
(THA-Private)
2 Bayer
(DEU-Listed)
3 Syngenta
(CHE-Private)
4 Advanta
(ARE-Listed)
5 Corteva Agriscience
(USA - Listed)
6 Acsen HyVeg
(IND-Private)
7 Namdhari Seeds
(IND-Private)
8 Limagrain
(FRA-Cooperative/Listed)
9 Nuziveedu Seeds
(IND-Private)
10 Monsanto
(USA-Listed)
11 BRAC Seed & Agro Enterprise
(BGD-Social Enterprise)
12 Metahelix Life Sciences Ltd
(IND-Listed)
13 Lal Teer Seed
(BGD-Listed)
14 Kalash Seed
(IND-Private)
15 Known-You Seed
(TWN-Private)
16 Vinaseed
(VNM-Listed)
17 Charoen Pokphand
(THA-Private)
18 Takii
(JPN-Private)
19 Mahyco
(IND-Private)
20 Sakata
(JPN-Listed)
21 National Seeds Corporation
(IND-State-owned)
22 Punjab Seed Corporation
(PAK-State-owned)
23 Nongwoo Bio
(KOR-Listed)
24 Bioseed
(IND-Private)
Only top 10 is shown. For full rankings: https://www.accesstoseeds.org/the-index/
1 East African Seed
(KEN-Private)
2 Seed Co
(ZAF-Listed)
3 East-West Seed
(THA-Private)
4 Corteva Agriscience
(USA-Listed)
5 Syngenta
(CHE - Private)
6 Victoria Seeds
(UGA-Private)
7 NASECO
(UGA-Private)
8 Equator Seeds
(UGA-Private)
9 Ethiopian Agricultural
Business Corporation
(ETH-State owned)
10 FICA Seeds
(UGA-Private)
11 Technisem
(FRA-Private)
12 Pop Vriend Seeds
(NLD-Private)
13 Demeter Seed
(MWI-Private)
14 Kenya Seed Company
(KEN-Private)
15 Monsanto*
(USA-Listed)
16 Kenya Highland Seed
(KEN-Private)
17 Capstone Seeds
(ZAF-Private)
18 Klein Karoo Africa
(ZAF-Private)
19 Zamseed
(ZAM-Private)
20 Darusalam Seed Company
(SOM-Private)
21 Starke Ayres
(ZAF-Private)
22 Hygrotech
(ZAF-Private)
1 Value Seeds
(NGA-Private)
2.85
2.52
2.48
2.39
2.21
2.15
2.11
2.11
1.97
1.82
1.82
1.57
2 Technisem
(FRA-Private)
3 East-West Seed
(THA-Private)
4 Syngenta
(CHE-Private)
5 Tropicasem
(SEN - Private)
6 Maslaha Seeds
(NGA-Private)
7 Seed Co
(ZAF-Listed)
8 Semagri
(CMR-Private)
9 Nankosem
(USA-Listed)
10 Corteva Agriscience
(UGA-Private)
11 Premier Seed
(NGA-Private)
12 Da-Allgreen Seeds
(NGA-Private)
0 1 2 3 4 5
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
South and Southeast Asia:
• 5 Global companies in top 10;
• 5 from region (three from India)
Eastern & Southern Africa:
• 2 regional companies lead,
• 7 from region in top 10
Western & Central Africa:
• Nigerian comp. leads ranking;
• 5 from the region in top 10
Rankings demonstrate the key role of regional
companies for improving access to seeds

8.
Leading seed companies are present with sales throughout the
region, investments concentrate on a select number of countries
Country
India
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Vietnam
Thailand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Nepal
Philippines
Myanmar
Cambodia
Laos
Afghanistan
Companies
21
20
18
18
17
17
16
15
15
12
10
9
6
Number of companies
with sales activities
per country
South and
Southeast Asia
Breeding
Production
Processing
Bangladesh
Thailand
Vietnam
Indonesia
Number of companies
reporting facilities
India
Philippines
11
7
13
18
17
18
5
10
8
6
8
4
4
7
6
2
4
3
Seed hubs
in the region
Source: Key findings, Access to Seeds Index for South and Southeast Asia 2019

9.
Companies work on a broad portfolio. Legumes are largely
overlooked. Hybrids are dominant
Hybrid
OPV
Vegetables Field crops
5
2
6
13
1
8
1
1
1
9
14
7
Rice
Maize
Millets
Sunflower
Sorghum
Wheat
Sesame
2
18
Cabbage
6
18
Cucumber
6
18
Gourd
5
18
Pepper (hot)
6
18
Tomato
3
18
Watermelon
3
17
Cauliflower
3
16
Pumpkin
5
15
Eggplant
2
14
Melon
4
14
Pepper (sweet)
12
11
Carrot
2
10
Squash
9
8
Onion
9
5
Green bean
9
3
Green pea
8
1
Lettuce
10
15
Okra
Vegetables Field crops
Legumes
Global companies
Regional companies
8
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
8
8
6
14
14
14
7 10
10
11
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
12
7
6
8 8
7 9
7
6
6
8
8
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
6
42
11
6
6
1
1
1
1
2
2 2
3
3
2
2
Source: Key findings, Access to Seeds Index for South and Southeast Asia 2019

10.
South and Southeast Asia:
Companies reach only 20% of smallholders;
most companies focus adoption strategies on just a few countries
6
9
10
12
15
15
16
17
17
18
18
20
15
21
Myanmar
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Laos
Nepal
Afghanistan
Number of companies with capacity building programs
Number of companies present
3
3
3
1
1
0
India
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
9
8
6
6
5
3
Sales is often not
accompanied by
capacity building
Source: Key findings, Access to Seeds Index for South and Southeast Asia 2019

11.
Leading seed companies are present throughout the region,
South Africa and Kenya emerge as seed hubs
13121110987654321
Number of companies
Seed company presence
Source: Key Findings, Access to Seeds Index for Eastern and Southern Africa 2019
Breeding Production Processing
Main seed hubs
Ethiopia
2
2
4
Tanzania
4
8
3
Zambia
4
4
South Africa
3
7
8
Uganda
5
5
4
6
Kenya
6
6
8
Zimbabwe 3
4
4

12.
Eastern and Southern Africa:
Companies have a broad sales portfolio
but focus breeding primarily on maize
Number of companies with
breeding programs for crops
Maize
Beans, dry
Soybean
Tomato
Sorghum
Wheat
Onion
Watermelon
Pumpkin
Okra
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Green bean
11
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
Field crop
Legumes
Vegetable
Source: Key Findings, Access to Seeds Index for Eastern and Southern Africa 2019
Crops found in company portfolios
Vegetables Field crops
Legumes
Tomato
Onion
Cabbage
Watermelon
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Carrot
Eggplant
Pumpkin
Okra
Cucumber
Lettuce
Melon
Cauliflower
Squash
Green bean
Green pea
Gourd
14 5
14 5
13 5
13 5
13 5
12 5
12 5
12 5
12 5
11 5
10 5
10 5
9 5
9 5
9 5
9 5
9 3
2 3
Maize
Sorghum
Millets
Rice
Sunflower
Wheat
Sesame
Potato
Soybean
Dry Beans
Groundnut
Cowpea
Pigeon pea
Chickpea
13 3
13 3
8 2
7 2
7 1
1
5 3
5
1 2
11 3
10 2
9 1
7 3
1
15
2
Global companies
Regional companies

13.
Western and Central Africa:
Diversity of seed industry players
has potential to release new varieties across all countries…
Origin of homegrown
seed companies
Presence global seed
companies
Source: www.accesstoseeds.org/publications
Companies
16
14
13
12
12
11
11
8
7
6
6
6
5
5
4
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
F ebru ary, 2 0 1 8
Landscaping study for the
R eg ional Access to Seeds Index
for Western & Central Africa
Coordinated under the supervision of
Mr. Yacouba Diallo, Bamako, Mali
Commissioned by the Access to Seeds
Foundation
Identifying Leading Seed
Companies in Western and
Central Africa
January 2 0 1 9
Bridg ing the g apbetween the
world’s leading seed companies
and the smallholder farmer
Access to Seeds
Index 2019
Global Seed
Companies
Presence seed-producing
cooperatives

14.
Companies work on a broad portfolio. OPVs are dominant,
only for maize and some vegetables more hybrids
Source: Access to Seeds Index for Western and Central Africa 2019
Hybrid OPV
Soybean
Cowpea
Groundnut
7
5
4
Pigeon pea
Beans, dry
Chickpea
0
0
0
Legumes
African Eggplant
Amaranth
Celosia
Roselle
Bede mafane
Cassava
Ewedu
5
4
3
2
1
1
1
Choisam
Hairy nightshade
Jew’s mallow
Kangkong
Spider plant
Yardlong bean
1
1
1
1
1
1
Local cropsLocal crops

15.
Only eight African companies and three global companies are
involved in breeding, resulting in outdated portfolio
Source: Access to Seeds Index for Western and Central Africa 2019
From African continent From outside the continent
Age of
youngest
variety (% )
21
31
48
12
88
Source of
varieties
Almost 50% of portfolio
of regional companies
older than 5 years
Companies breeding in Western and Central Africa

16.
• Getting good seed in the hands of farmers is a global
priority for climate action and food system transformation
• Asian seed industry has regional challenges, and a lot of
potential for the African continent
• Network of professional seed partners is available to
reach African farmers across all sub-Saharan countries
Scaling up innovation