In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay is joined by Professor Mohamed Coulibaly to unpack the political and legal complexities of seed sovereignty in Africa. With a background in banking and environmental law, Professor Coulibaly brings a deep understanding of how global frameworks particularly UPOV 1991—undermine traditional seed systems by prioritizing breeders’ rights over farmers’ rights. He explains how many African countries have adopted seed laws modelled after those in the Global North, which limit farmers’ ability to save, exchange, or improve their seeds—practices that are central to African agriculture and food sovereignty. The conversation also delves into the implementation challenges of the OAPI system and the African Model Law, revealing a stark disconnect between legal frameworks and the lived realities of African farmers. Professor Coulibaly argues that promises of innovation, investment, and agricultural development under these seed protection systems have largely failed to materialize. Instead, he calls for a bold shift toward an African-driven model that recognizes indigenous knowledge, strengthens farmer-researcher collaboration, and supports local seed systems. This powerful dialogue is a call to rethink how African countries govern seeds in ways that prioritize food security, biodiversity, and farmer resilience over corporate control.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with seed law expert François Meinberg to unpack the complex issues surrounding Plant Variety Protection (PVP) laws and their impact on African farmers. The conversation explores how international frameworks like UPOV 1991 and the TRIPS Agreement often prioritize corporate interests, undermining farmers' rights to save, exchange, and develop seeds. Meinberg explains how these legal systems threaten biodiversity, restrict innovation, and erode indigenous knowledge systems that have long supported resilient food production in Africa. The episode also highlights the pressure African countries face to adopt restrictive seed laws, often at the expense of local food security and sovereignty. Meinberg emphasizes the importance of civil society advocacy, farmer-managed seed systems, and integrating traditional knowledge into legal frameworks. Together, they call for evidence-based policymaking and a balanced legal approach that supports both breeders and farmers, urging African leaders to resist trade agreements that compromise the continent’s agricultural future.

In this powerful episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay speaks with Dr. Carlos M. Correa—renowned legal scholar and Executive Director of the South Centre—about one of the most high-stakes battlegrounds in African agriculture: seed laws. Dr. Correa exposes how international agreements like UPOV 1991 were crafted without farmers and now threaten seed sovereignty across the Global South. He unpacks how trade deals and donor-driven pressures are pushing African countries to adopt legal regimes that prioritize corporate breeders over the rights of smallholder farmers, risking the erosion of biodiversity, local seed systems, and community resilience. Through sharp analysis and decades of experience, Dr. Correa highlights legal alternatives such as sui generis models and global frameworks like ITPGRFA and UNDROP that defend farmers’ rights and promote biodiversity. Together, he and Million explore how African countries can resist legal harmonization that serves foreign interests and instead champion laws grounded in local realities and food justice. This episode is a wake-up call for policymakers and a guiding light for movements working to protect seed freedom and decolonize agricultural governance.