In Ethiopia, agriculture is a key sector and a priority government agenda for economic growth and development. The government embarked on its ambitious plan of food system transformation among which access to agricultural technologies, innovations, and delivery is one of the main challenges. Building a robust and inclusive seed system that ensures the availability, accessibility, and affordability of climate-resilient technologies and innovations in the face of climate change remains critical in this endeavor. From its modest beginning in the 1970s, the formal seed sector went through several organizational and structural changes over its 40 years of operations. Significant developments have been registered in terms of technical changes; infrastructure and logistics; institutional arrangements; and enabling policy and regulatory frameworks. To date we can witness a diverse seed sector characterized by: (i) several federal and regional public agricultural research institutes and higher learning institutes generating agricultural technologies and innovations; (ii) a diverse set of enterprises such as multinational seed companies, federal and regional public seed enterprises, smallto-medium seed companies, seed producer cooperatives and seed unions and farmer groups operating side by side in seed delivery; (iii) national or regional regulatory frameworks and enabling policy pronouncements pertinent to seed sector development; (iv) federal and regional regulatory agencies enforcing the laws, regulations, and guidelines on varieties, seeds, trade, phytosanitary measures; and (v) key seed value chain actors beyond the Ministry of Agriculture which are dealing with investments, trade and finances. Despite the progress made so far, one stumbling block is the absence of an effective governance system that can provide guidance and leadership to the national seed sector. Until today the coordination of the seed sector remains diffused and not well aligned with organizational and administrative changes at federal and regional levels. This document reviews the status and challenges of seed sector coordination at federal and regional state levels, recommends options for the way forward, and advocates for effective coordination for seed sector transformation, which, in turn, contributes to the transformation of the Ethiopian food systems. From agricultural research institutions generating technologies to development practitioners promoting and scaling those innovations to financial institutions supporting the investment and trade in the seed value chain, this is an important document to provide options for seed sector coordination and governance. The document is the third in a series and was developed at a time when the Ethiopian food system transformation was at the forefront by the GoE. The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research expresses gratitude with thanks to all members of the national Seed Advisory Group for setting seed sector coordination and governance as a priority agenda, and all stakeholders engaged in the consultation process.

Text in English