AfDB-backed initiative enhances early warning systems and seed production in East Africa
Regional project across four East African nations delivers more than 956 tonnes of improved seeds; provides technical support to over 160,000 farmers.
The African Development Bank Group and key partners have convened a workshop to review progress and chart the way forward for an ongoing regional agriculture initiative that is delivering significant gains across Burundi, Comoros, Somalia and South Sudan.
The Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis (SEPAREF) project, funded by the Bank Group and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with government ministries, was launched in response to food shortages caused by global supply disruptions linked to rising geopolitical tensions.
It is focused on bolstering food security in participating countries by strengthening and digitizing early warning systems, increasing the production of climate-tolerant seeds, and improving the capacity of national institutions to deal with current and future crises.
The regional validation workshop, held from 4 to 6 March 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, brought together technical teams from the Bank Group, FAO, National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), Ministries of Agriculture and Finance from the participating countries, and representatives from the private sector.
Participants at the SEPAREF workshop in Nairobi. © FAO/Michael Kitum
Strengthening seed systems and resilience
Workshop participants acknowledged several key results achieved under the project. To date, more than 956 tonnes of early generation seeds (EGS) have been produced, improving farmers' access to climate-and drought-tolerant crop varieties. The project has also rehabilitated irrigation and seed storage facilities and supported over 250 seed out-growers, strengthening local production capacity.
In partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation, the project is enhancing the capacity of national research institutions to ensure the highest standards of seeds and seed-producing technologies reach smallholder farmers.
The initiative also helped establish national seed councils and digital early warning systems, along with coordination mechanisms to support crisis preparedness. These digital platforms have already registered more than 160,000 farmers, improving access to early warning information and agricultural advisory services.
Building on the gains
Speaking during the workshop, Pascal Sanginga, the Bank's Regional Manager for Agriculture and Agro-Industries, called for partners to scale up the initiative for "better food and nutrition security, job creation, and the critical reduction of grain import bills".
"Despite these successes, significant risks remain," he added, citing limited government budgets, donor dependency and restricted access to capital for seed enterprises. "This gathering should serve as a strategic design lab, transforming three years of lessons into a structured roadmap for a multi-country seed security and resilience programme."
Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Representative in Kenya, emphasised the importance of sustaining the project's gains even as it nears completion. "Financial sustainability for the seed sector is critical," Zimudzi said. "But equally important is embedding seed certification systems and digital early warning tools into national structures, with harmonised standards and stronger public-private partnerships to scale seed enterprises."
The workshop concluded with firm commitments by all stakeholders to sustain and expand the gains achieved to date, across all participating countries.
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