Across Africa, seed security is often threatened by fragility and conflict. The Integrated Seed Sector Development in Africa Programme (ISSD Africa)  enables partners working directly in seed sector development to strengthen the impact of their work through developing, validating and scaling innovations.  

Operating as a Community of Practice (CoP), ISSD Africa empowers practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to collectively strengthen seed systems across Africa's most fragile contexts.

ISSD Africa is, at its core, a knowledge development and exchange platform. While it does not directly engage in national seed sector development programmes, it links strategically with such initiatives, providing space and support for partners to learn, share, and adapt solutions that benefit seed sectors in fragile contexts.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is the main funder of ISSD Africa. Their grant of two million Euros should align with and match existing and new initiatives supported by other funding partners. In this way ISSD Africa strategically connects with and complements multiple initiatives, including those supported by the Government of the Netherlands. 

Coordinated by Wageningen Social and Economic Research, the Community of Practice is built around four distinct, yet complementary Action Learning Projects. Each ALP is led by an international partner who facilitates activities and interaction with African experts, organisations and initiatives. In this phase, Mercy Corps, the Royal Tropical Institute, the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT and WUR each lead the ALPs of ISSD Africa.  

With the encouragement of SDC, ISSD Africa prioritises creating meaningful connections and exchange between diverse partners, enabling expertise and experience sharing between farmers and local organisations and continental initiatives and policymakers. 

Together with partners, the programme has also driven forward the need for stronger recognition of farmer-managed seed systems (FMSS), supported the adoption of the ISSD Principles and thinking in national projects, and produced a robust repository of user-focused knowledge products, including policy briefs, tools to support decision-making and action, guidance videos, and multi-party communiqués

A key lesson from ISSD Africa is that seed sector development must be designed for flexibility. In fragile contexts, partners’ sector development activities face critical and unexpected disruptions - from access restrictions to shifting local priorities - requiring real-time adjustments. ISSD Africa’s role has been to support these partners in adapting their work: revising action plans, modifying approaches, or relocating activities to maintain relevance and momentum. 

The centering of African voices and knowledge in seed sector development projects is incredibly important, to ensure equitable outcomes for projects, and to generate long lasting impact. In the eyes of ISSD Africa, supporting the growth of local expertise and institutions remains vital for building resilient seed systems that endure beyond the life of individual projects.

Going forward, ISSD Africa sees untapped potential in stronger private sector engagement, especially with African seed companies. Seed market systems still experience shocks and disruption in fragile contexts, but even during emergencies tend to show remarkable resilience and ability to rebound. Focusing developmental efforts on seed market systems may therefore result in interventions with greater reach, impact and adaptability than traditional aid-driven methods.

ISSD Africa continues to drive efforts in addressing emerging fragilities in seed sector development, advocating for recognition of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. In an increasingly fragile world, ISSD Africa is urging the seed sector to look ahead - ensuring that today’s efforts will still matter when tomorrow may bring ever more complex challenges to already fragile regions.