Well-functioning services are essential to ensure that seed producers can access the knowledge, inputs, and support they need to supply quality seed to farmers. Without reliable services, seed systems cannot function efficiently, adapt, or scale. However, in many countries, service provision is fragmented, underfunded, or concentrated in formal systems that may not reach small-scale or decentralised seed producers. Public services may lack resources, while private services tend to focus on more profitable segments of the market. Tailoring services to the scale, crop focus, and business model of each seed actor can address this gap. Coordination between service providers, strong public-private partnerships, and investment in capacity development are needed to ensure services are technically sound, inclusive, and sustainable. Seed sector transformation depends not just on production and distribution, but on the support systems that enable every actor in the value chain to perform effectively.

How to strengthen seed sectors for food system outcomes