Early May 2023, Ethiopian parliament has enacted a new seed law, marking the third revision in the history of the country’s seed regulatory system. The first seed related regulation was in 1997, which was replaced by the seed law 206/2000. That was again revised and replaced by the seed law 782/2013. The new law is expected to provide a legal framework much-needed to boost seed sector development in Ethiopia. One of the major challenges faced by the Ethiopian seed regulatory system has been the very limited implementation of the laws and regulations. This has partly been due to the implementation capacity of public institutions. Seed is one of the most regulated international commodities, requiring a strong regulatory structure. However, this structure has been weak in Ethiopia, leaving some of the regulatory elements unimplemented so far.
Over the last decade, regulatory authorities have been established in several regional states and lately at the federal level. The seed law 782/2013 clearly differentiates the roles between the federal and regional structures. While there is shared responsibility in terms of seed quality control, depending on the source of seed and its use, the roles related to variety release and registration are the sole responsibility of the federal regulatory authority.
Variety registration has been one of the regulatory components that has not been implemented as stipulated in the law. According to the law, varieties must be tested by an independent body for registration. However, the independent body has been relying on data generated by public research institutes, including universities, and only evaluates the verification trial, which is still done by the research institutes. Private companies have voiced opposition to this arrangement because their competitors, which include public research institutes, are the ones conducting the private companies’ variety testing, which is supposed to be done by an independent body.
The new seed law is expected to replace the current approach and improve the variety release system and provide a much-needed boost to seed sector development in Ethiopia. It is fortunate that regulatory authorities are already in place, both at regional and federal levels. However, their capacity to implement the new law remains a concern.
Commitment from the authorities is crucial for successful implementation of the new seed law. While capacity can be developed and supported externally, commitment is internal and requires motivation from the mandated institutions. There are different partners that are willing to support the regulatory authorities to implement the seed regulations. The authorities, particularly at the federal level, need to use this opportunity to enhance its implementation capacity.
In conclusion, Ethiopia’s new seed law provides an opportunity for the country’s seed sector development. The regulatory authorities need to ensure full implementation of the law and improve its capacity to regulate the sector. With the new seed law in place and commitment from all stakeholders, Ethiopia’s seed sector can become a major contributor to the country’s economy and food security.
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