EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 13 Map of AFSTA coverage in Africa (green). “We aim to strengthen partnerships with Global Seed Industry Players such as ISF, APSA, ESA and ASTA, National Seed Associations and NGOs. Not to be left behind are regional institutions such as African Union, COMESA and CORAF,” says Denias Zaranyika, immediate past President of AFSTA from Zimbabwe. ON BIOTECHNOLOGY AFSTA has been at the forefront of negotiating with various seed stake- holders and regulators to allow for biotechnology adoption under clear biosafety systems. The associa- tion applauds various efforts being undertaken by gov- ernments to address issues of food security, but more needs to be done. A case in point, and which needs more partnership, is the fact that we continue to witness Africa quietly changing the course of genetically modified crops field testing by giving conditional approval for crop trials as most countries on the con- tinent now see the use of science, technology and innovation as a vehicle to achieve food security for the increasing population. We urge governments to work closely with researchers to ease the process of scientific approvals of such new technologies. From our work with various national seed associations over the past seven years, farmers and a majority of seed companies support biotechnology. In Malawi, as a case in point, the Seed Trade Association of Malawi (STAM) has continued to throw its weight behind ongoing calls by researchers to the government to commercialize genetically modified foods in the country. They say the technology is crucial to help farmers deal effectively with pest attacks and the impact of climate change which will help accelerate the development of the agricultural sector. In Burkina Faso, scientist Dr. Adama Neya, who works at Farok-Ba Research Station, noted that in listening to the seed companies, he is confident that what they want to hear are two things: when will the GM cowpea be available to them; and, for how many years will the cowpea technology be in use before a new one? SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS OF AFSTA As it were, AFSTA is obliged to offer service to its members and the establishment of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) was a step towards members’ service. It was gratifying to see AFSTA members embrace overwhelmingly the SIGs initiative, on its launch five years ago, with the registration of the first 30 members. The formation of two active Special Interest Groups on “Vegetables” (SIGV) and “Field Crops” (SIGFC) to address issues on these two crop groups has been a major achievement at AFSTA. Today, SIGs membership has grown to 100 members and the upward trend continues. This growth is in itself a huge achieve- ment seen in terms of numbers, but also in terms of the increas- ing number of requests from members and not just on issues of common interests to be addressed by the SIGs. The platform offers members a place to share knowledge, experiences, provide solutions to problems and network widely on issues pertaining to the trade of seeds of crops of their interest. The SIGs bring together AFSTA members with focus in specific crops to identify and recommend solutions to issues that impact the seed trade in Africa and beyond. Over the years we have wit- nessed stakeholders share seed trade knowledge and experiences that have contributed significantly to seed business opportunities and solutions to critical trade issues on the continent. Apart from that, identification and facilitation of specific relevant seed research areas desired by our members has formed the crux of our very existence. Such kind of interactions often yield leveraging and influencing of policy change for better trad- ing environment through group action. We are proud of the fact that some of our members share non-exclusive seed information for the benefit of their work.