Mbabane – His Majesty King Mswati III has called on African countries to strengthen collaboration, investment and innovation in the seed sector, saying the continent’s ability to achieve food security depends on resilient seed systems and collective action.
The King made the call at the inaugural Africa Seed Summit Dinner held at the Ezulwini Palazzo International Convention Centre in Ezulwini on Tuesday evening, where he said African countries must work together to strengthen food sovereignty and build agricultural systems capable of withstanding climate change.
The dinner, attended by Emakhosikati, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentarians, delegates from within and outside the country, development partners, members of the diplomatic corps, private-sector representatives and invited guests, also served as the official opening of the Africa Seed Summit.
The summit is being held under the theme “Resilient Seed Systems for a Food Secure Africa.”
His Majesty said Africa could not afford to approach food security as individual nations, urging countries to support one another according to their agricultural strengths.
“Each nation must maximize the crops for which it is best suited and where one country shows particular strength, the other member states must support it, because all of us are Africans. In the end, what we want is to see a successful Africa that is food secure,” the King said.
He said stronger regional coordination was needed across the agricultural value chain, including production, irrigation, storage, transportation and trade, to ensure that African countries could produce and distribute enough food for their populations.
The King also stressed the need for greater investment in resilient agri-food systems as the continent faces the growing effects of climate change.
He called for the strengthening of plant genetic resources and the development of climate-resilient cultivars, saying these were critical to ensuring that agriculture could continue producing under changing climatic conditions.
“Seed is the ‘genesis’ of all. Yes, the beginning of everything, which amplifies and sums up the importance of our gathering here at Ezulwini this week,” His Majesty said.
The King placed particular emphasis on the role of young people in transforming Africa’s seed and agricultural sectors, saying investment in the sector could create opportunities rather than merely provide employment.
“A young person who produces, processes or trades in quality seed is not looking for work; that young person is creating it,” he said.
His Majesty said the outcome of the summit would have implications beyond the meeting itself, placing responsibility on delegates to develop practical solutions for strengthening Africa’s seed systems.
“The future of agriculture on the continent depends on the outcome of this event,” he said.
The King further called for collective action through the African Union, saying no single Member State could build a secure and sustainable seed system on its own.
He urged African countries to work towards common frameworks, harmonised standards, resource mobilisation and accountability in advancing the continent’s seed agenda.
Eswatini, he said, was also taking steps towards strengthening its own seed sovereignty.
These include upgrading the country’s national gene bank, multiplying seeds and germplasm and training farmers in seed production.
However, His Majesty acknowledged that more work remained to be done, and welcomed partnerships, investment and the sharing of expertise between Eswatini, other African countries and development partners.
The inaugural summit brings together stakeholders from across the continent and beyond to examine how stronger seed systems can contribute to food security, agricultural resilience and sustainable development in Africa.
With seed forming the foundation of crop production, the discussions are expected to focus on strengthening the systems needed to ensure that farmers have access to quality and climate-resilient seed while improving cooperation across African countries.
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