Privatization of Seed Markets: Implications for Poverty and Agrobiodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa

While traditionally seed markets in most developing countries were dominated by the public sector, the private sector has gained in importance since the 1980s. This trend is expected to have economic, social, and environmental implications, especially with a view to the small farm sector. Results and projections made in the literature are mixed for poverty impacts, while the effect on agrobiodiversity is often assumed to be negative. However, relatively few studies have analyzed such aspects with rigorous scientific methods. This project intends to address this gap. Building on an innovative analytical framework, methodologies will be developed and used for empirical analyses of survey data from maize farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Econometric techniques will be refined to analyze determinants of maize variety adoption, differentiating between public and private sector varieties and taking specific account of institutional issues. Furthermore, effects of seed market privatization and modern technology adoption on varietal diversity will be studied. Finally, we will analyze impacts on farm productivity, household income, and poverty, controlling for selection bias through instrumental variable and propensity score matching approaches. The project will be carried out in cooperation with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Researchers involved: Jonas Kathage , Matin Qaim


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