Case Study: Investment in sustainable seeds for sustainable agricultural intensification

This study estimates that Sustainable Seeds Systems for the Global South received approximately USD 15 billion in funding cumulatively between 2010-2019 across all sources of funders. This is roughly one-third the total funding for seeds innovation in the same time period. Though the trend should get confirmed with further data, the analysis made in this study reveals a slight decline in the trend for investments in sustainable seeds innovation over the last 2-3 years for which data was available.
Approximately 55% of this funding is concentrated in the Research & Development (R&D) and
Product Development stages of activity with Marketing & Behaviour Change activities also receiving about 30% of this funding. Private sector funding is concentrated in R&D and Product Development whereas Government funding is well balanced across R&D, Product Development, Marketing, Infrastructure Development. Development Funders tend to also focus on Research and Product Development.
Finally, farmer-saved seeds and community seed systems attract only miniscule funding ( million cumulatively between 2010-2019) or less than 0.5% of total funding, and an increase in focus and funding levels for this would likely prove very helpful.