Sahel states launch seed alliance to boost food security

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formed the Alliance of Agricultural Seed Producers of the Sahel (APSA-Sahel) to reduce reliance on foreign seed imports and strengthen food security, Business Insider Africa reports. The initiative aims to promote locally adapted, climate-resilient seeds suited to the region’s arid conditions, while facilitating their free circulation across member states.

Launched by Burkina Faso’s agriculture minister, the alliance reflects the Sahel states’ broader shift toward economic self-reliance after breaking with ECOWAS. APSA-Sahel will coordinate seed research, production, and distribution to empower local farmers and enhance agricultural output.

The creation of APSA-Sahel comes as part of the Alliance of Sahel States’ (AES) strategy to foster regional integration, including the introduction of a common passport and withdrawal from ECOWAS’s trade regime. The seed alliance underscores the bloc’s move toward sovereignty in critical sectors amid growing climate and geopolitical pressures.