Stakeholders are invited to provide their feedback on the Methodology for the 2018 Access to Seeds Index so it can be taken in consideration before its finalization. Comments and suggestions can be sent before 19 October 2017 to info@accesstoseeds.org
This one-month period of public consultation is part of a two-year review and consultation process that started with the release of the first Index in February 2016.
The methodology has been thoroughly reviewed, which resulted in a reduction of 15 indicators. More attention will be given to seed production, intellectual property and handling of genetic resources. Also, the Access to Seeds Index will expand its coverage of regional seed companies.
Expert Review
In parallel to this period of public consultation, expert meetings will be organized in Hyderabad, Abidjan, Johannesburg and Amsterdam to review the methodology. After collecting feedback from stakeholders and experts, the methodology will be sent to the Supervisory Board of the Access to Seeds Foundation for final approval.
Data Collection
The data collection for the 2018 Access to Seeds Index will start in the beginning of 2018. Companies selected for the assessment will be informed about the data collection process in the fall of 2017. Companies will receive a questionnaire to submit data in a carefully managed process that ensures equal treatment of each company. To facilitate the data collection process, a user-friendly online data collection platform is being developed.
Data Analysis
The analysis of the data both on a company level and an industry level is overseen by the Access to Seeds Foundation’s lead researchers. For verification purposes, analysts carry out an extensive quantitative and qualitative check of each indicator for each company. Scoring is carried out following scoring guidelines approved by the Foundation’s Supervisory Board. For specific areas, technical experts are requested to review the analysis. Everyone involved in the data collection process has signed a confidentiality agreement.
Launch Access to Seeds Index 2018
The release of the 2018 Index is scheduled for the period November 2018 – February 2019. The Indexes for Asia and Africa, as well as the assessment of globally operating companies, will be released at separate moments during this period.
