This document discusses regulations in the Indian seed sector and how to balance regulations with enabling innovation and access. It notes that current seed systems have limited innovation at scale, ineffective efforts to increase demand and uptake of improved varieties, and fragmented value chains. The goal is to modernize the role of seed delivery to farmers to accelerate varietal turnover, quality seed use, and realization of genetic gains. However, it warns that policy and regulatory costs can reduce the seed sector's value and growth if regulations are too ambitious or not fit for purpose. It suggests some global regulatory trends and questions whether India's seed policies and regulations are still relevant and achieving their desired effects.

1. Delivering Genetic Gain to
Farmers’ Fields:
How much regulation is too much regulation?
David J Spielman
Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling
International Food Policy Research Institute
National seminar on
“Regulations & Governance Issues in Indian Seed Sector”
New Delhi, 26-27 September 2023

2. www.cgiar.org
The Seed Systems Problem:
Limited systemic innovation at scale
Returns to policy
interventions
poorly understood
Efforts to increase
demand and
sustained uptake
are ineffective
Unconvincing
value proposition
to farmers or seed
providers
Improved varieties
and quality seed not
available when and
where demanded
Fragmented
seed value
chains
Poor product
differentiation
and returns
Lack of robust
data,
expertise, and
capacity
Ineffective
extension and
marketing

3. www.cgiar.org
Goal: To accelerate varietal turnover, quality seed use, and the
realization of genetic gains in farmers’ fields
Modernize CGIAR’s role in seed system development, particularly seed delivery
and scaling
Ensure that genetic gains reach disadvantaged groups including women and
youth

4. www.cgiar.org
• Reduced average varietal age on farm
• Increased seed replacement rates
• Increased rates of inclusion of women, disadvantaged
groups in seed production, marketing, and use
• More effective policy environments for seed sector
development
Key performance indicators
Cereals
Legumes
Roots, Tubers &
Bananas
Capacity
Policy
Equitable Access
Emergency Seed

5. www.cgiar.org
Lots of policy and regulatory intervention
Market intelligence,
product profiling
Trait discovery,
introgression
Population
Improvement
Early-and late-
stage testing
Registration,
release,
production
Distribution and
marketing
• Genetic resources policy
• Biodiversity regulations
• Biosafety regulations
• Public R&D priorities
• Testing procedures
• Registration & release procedures
• Quality assurance systems
• Access & benefit sharing guidelines
• IP policies and licensing rules
• Input subsidy policies
• Market regulations
• Food procurement policies
• Ag extension spending priorities
• Investment and trade policy
• Nutrition, social programs
Seed sector development at every stage is fundamentally shaped by the setting
policy, regulation, and investment priorities

6. But be wary of overambitious policy
Policy and regulatory costs
Seed
sector
value/growth
($,
%)
𝜌∗
𝜌𝑙 𝜌ℎ

7. Global trends in the making?
• Varietal registration and release:
• Automatic/voluntary/low-cost registration of new varieties
• Quality assurance systems: Moves towards more sensible QA systems
• Regulations as standards for industry self-regulation
• Truth-in-labeling rather than field-to-bag inspection regimes
• Reforms that treat crop archetypes differently (maize ≠ potato)
• Recognition of farmer-based seed systems
• Input policies: Smart subsidies?
• Inclusion of only specific new varieties/traits on subsidy eligibility lists
• Exclusion (planned obsolescence) of older, p&d susceptible varieties
• Inclusion of legume subsidies in cereal programs to encourage rotations
• Trade policy: Harmonization beyond mutual recognition of varieties
• Expedited/fast-track release procedures, zero tariff imports

8. Time to reflect
Are India’s seed sector policies and regulations “fit for purpose”?
• Varietal registration and release: Is the current registration and notification system
still relevant and desirable?
• Quality assurance systems: Does seed certification for notified crops provide a
credible signal to farmers of genetic and physical quality?
• Input policies: Do seed subsidies induce the desired changes in farmer behavior, e.g.,
increased varietal turnover?
• Trade policy: Are the gains from trade being fully realized through existing
agreements, export promotion efforts, and import barriers?

9. Thank you