New Markets Lab

THE CORPORATION IS ORGANIZED FOR THE CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF: ADVANCE THE SPREAD OF SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE ALONG AFRICA'S "DEVELOPMENT CORRIDORS" IN WAYS THAT MEASURABLY IMPROVE THE INCOME OF SMALL FARMERS AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO A DYNAMIC, INTERNATINALLY COMPETITIVE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

IN 2022, THE NEW MARKETS LAB (NML) PARTNERED WITH NEW AND EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS TO FURTHER ITS MISSION OF ADVANCING THE SPREAD OF SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE TO THE BENEFIT OF SMALL FARMERS AND COMMUNITIES AND LEVERAGING LAW AND REGULATION AS A TOOL TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN AN EVOLVING GLOBAL MARKET. AGRI EXPERIENCE LTD (SEEDSAT): NML LED THE LEGAL, REGULATORY AND POLICY COMPONENT OF THE SEEDSAT PROJECT, WHICH WAS INITIALLY MANAGED BY DAI AND WAS MANAGED BY AGRI EXPERIENCE LIMITED IN 2021, WITH FUNDING FROM BMGF AND IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH AGRA. NMLS INITIAL CONTRIBUTION INCLUDED DESIGN OF THE LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND POLICY APPROACH AND ASSESSMENT OF ETHIOPIAS AND NIGERIAS POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT BASED ON NMLS EXISTING METHODOLOGY FOCUSED ON LEGAL AND REGULATORY DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION ASPECTS. THIS WAS THEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE GHANA, KENYA, MALAWI, AND UGANDA. THE METHODOLOGY USED FOR SEEDSAT WAS DEVELOPED BY NML AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING FIVE FACTORS: (1) POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY DESIGN (STRUCTURE OF SYSTEM AND PROCESS OF REGULATORY DEVELOPMENT); (2) EFFICIENCY OF THE POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY SYSTEM, TRACKING THE TIME AND COST OF COMPLETION OF REGULATORY PROCESSES; (3) LEGAL AND REGULATORY GATEWAYS THAT ESTABLISH REGULATORY PRECONDITIONS; (4) ENGAGEMENT IN THE POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY SYSTEM, WITH ASSESSMENT OF CHANNELS FOR CLEAR STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION; AND (5) EFFECTIVENESS OF THE POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY SYSTEM DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH POLICIES, LAWS, AND REGULATIONS ACHIEVE THEIR PURPOSE (BASED ON NML, 2019 AND KUHLMANN, VARIOUS, INCLUDING 2020, 2021).CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES: SINCE JUNE 2019, NML HAS PARTNERED WITH CRS UNDER THEIR SUPPORTING SEED SYSTEMS FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY (S34D), WITH SUPPORT FROM USAID. NML AND CRS DEVELOPED A STUDY FOCUSED ON BRIDGING INFORMAL AND FORMAL SEED SECTORS THROUGH LAW AND REGULATION IN ORDER TO MAKE SEED SYSTEMS MORE INCLUSIVE, WHICH INCLUDED IDENTIFICATION OF GLOBAL GOOD PRACTICES IN SEED SYSTEMS TAILORED TO FARMERS REALITIES (SEE KUHLMANN AND DEY, 2021). IN 2021, NML AND CRS LAUNCHED A PROJECT TO TAILOR NMLS REGULATORY SYSTEMS MAPS TO ONGOING REFORM OF THE ETHIOPIA SEED POLICY AND REGULATORY SYSTEM, WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH ETHIOPIAN STAKEHOLDERS, IN ORDER TO HIGHLIGHT PROPOSED CHANGES FROM THE CURRENT SYSTEM AND ASSESS IMPACT ON EQUITABLE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED IN 2022. ALLIANCE FOR A GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA: IN 2022, NML CONTINUED ITS WORK AS A MEMBER OF A CONSORTIUM COORDINATED BY AGRA AND THE COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA) UNDER THE IMPROVED REGIONAL SEED TRADE IN COMESA AND EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY REGION PROJECT, WORKING WITH THE AFRICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION (AFSTA), SEED ASSURE, AND ECI-AFRICA. NMLS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSORTIUM FOCUSED ON ALIGNMENT OF NATIONAL SEED LAWS AND REGULATIONS WITH REGIONAL SEED LAWS AND REGULATIONS, BENCHMARKED AGAINST REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES. NMLS WORK FELL WITHIN TWO MAIN COMPONENTS, NAMELY THE ALIGNMENT OF ETHIOPIAS SEED LAWS AND REGULATIONS (SPECIFICALLY ETHIOPIAS DRAFT SEED PROCLAMATION AND ANY NEW SUBSIDIARY MEASURES, INCLUDING REGULATIONS TO BE DEVELOPED) WITH THE COMESA SEED TRADE HARMONISATION REGULATIONS OF 2014 AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON VARIETY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN), INCLUDING THE FACILITATION OF REGISTRATION OF QUALIFIED VARIETIES INTO THE COMESA VARIETY CATALOGUE. THIS PROJECT FOCUSED OVERALL ON IMPROVING REGIONAL ALIGNMENT OF SEED LAWS AND EXPANDED TRADE WITHIN COMESA AND THE EAC. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: NML HAS WORKED WITH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITYS AAP SINCE 2017, COLLABORATING WITH A CONSORTIUM OF U.S. AND AFRICA-BASED INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE AFRICA FERTILIZER AND AGRIBUSINESS PARTNERSHIP (AFAP), MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (MSU), THE REGIONAL NETWORK OF AGRICULTURAL POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTES (RENAPRI), AND, IN AN EARLIER PROJECT STAGE, THE INTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER DEVELOPMENT CENTER (IFDC). THE COLLABORATION HAS FOCUSED ON FACILITATING THE TRANSFORMATION OF AFRICAN AGRICULTURE AND SMALLHOLDER FARMERS LIVELIHOODS BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO AND USE OF FERTILIZERS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE, RELEVANT, AND ROBUST NATIONAL AND REGIONAL FERTILIZER POLICIES AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS.THE AFRICAN FERTILIZER AND AGRIBUSINESS PARTNERSHIP: NML BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN FERTILIZER AND AGRIBUSINESS PARTNERSHIP (AFAP) IN 2016, INITIALLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF AGRA SSTP THROUGH USAID TO FOCUS ON LEGAL AND REGUALTORY ASPECTS OF THE FERTILIZER SECTOR IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND REGIONAL ALIGHMENT OF FERTILIZER LAWS AND REGULATIONS. IN 2022, NML CONTINUING WORKING WITH AFAP AND AGRA TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF MALAWIS LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR FERTILIZER AS WELL AS CARRY OUT A LEGAL REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE FERTILIZER REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF 16 COUNTRIES IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC), IN COLLABORATION WITH RENAPRI. SYNGENTA FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (SFSA): IN 2022, NML CONTINUED WORK WITH SFSA UNDER ITS SEEDS2B PROGRAM, COLLABORATING ON POLICY, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY INTERVENTIONS TO SCALE SEED SYSTEMS AT THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK WAS TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND RELEASE OF NEW SEED VARIETIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN AFRICA, EXPAND MARKETS FOR SEED, AND FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF SEED FROM PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS INTO PRIVATE MARKETING CHANNELS, ALL WHILE ENSURING GAINS TO SMALL FARMERS AND PROTECTING THE PUBLIC GOOD. NMLS WORK WITH SFSA/SEEDS2B ON REGIONAL SEED REGULATORY ALIGNMENT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PARTNERSHIPS FOR SEED TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN AFRICA (PASTTA) PROJECT, WITH SUPPORT FROM USAID. THIS WORK INCLUDED CASE STUDIES AND TEST CASES TO STRESS TEST REGIONAL REGULATORY SYSTEMS IN THE EAC, COMESA, SADC, AND ECOWAS WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING TO IMPLEMENT REGIONAL REGULATORY HARMONIZATION INITIATIVES. IN 2022, UNDER PASTTA, NML PREPARED A REPORT ON CAPACITY BUILDING AND LICENSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN MALAWI, SENEGAL, MALI, AND UGANDA AND A CHECKBACK MECHANISM ON LICENSING IN KENYA. FURTHER NML PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR PASTTA PARTNERS ON LICENSING OF SEED TECHNOLOGIES. NML AND SFSA ALSO COLLABORATED UNDER THE ACCELERATED VARIETAL IMPROVEMENT AND SEED DELIVERY OF LEGUMES AND CEREALS IN AFRICA (AVISA) PROJECT, UNDER WHICH WORK IN 2022 FOCUSED ON AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIAS PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION LAW AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE TANZANIA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOCUSED ON LICENSING OF PUBLIC VARIETIES.INITIATIVE FOR FREE TRADE: NML PARTNERED WITH THE INITIATIVE FOR FREE TRADE, A UK-BASED THINK TANK AND A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS TO DEVELOP CULTIVATING TRADE: THE AFCFTA AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE. NMLS CONTRIBUTION FOCUSED ON THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AFCFTA) AGREEMENT, WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF LEGAL ASPECTS RELATED TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND FOOD SECURITY. IN PARTICULAR, THE STUDY INCLUDED AN ASSESSMENT OF NON-TARIFF MEASURES, IN PARTICULAR SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY (SPS) AND TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (TBT) MEASURES, ALONG WITH AGREEMENT PROVISIONS RELATING TO TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONSULTING LIMITED: IN 2022, NML PARTNERED WITH THE IEC, A MAURITIUS-BASED ADVISORY SERVICES ENTERPRISE ENGAGED IN THE FIELDS OF TRADE, INVESTMENT, AND PUBLIC POLICY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE COLLABORATION WAS TO DEVELOP AN ONLINE PUBLICATION EXPLAINING THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF CPTPP LABOR AND ENVIRONMENT PROVISIONS, HOW THESE PROVISIONS AFFECT VIETNAMESE BUSINESSES, AND WHAT MEASURES GOVERNMENTS MUST TAKE TO COMPLY WITH THE OBLIGATIONS AND AVOID DISPUTES WITH CPTPP MEMBERS. INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IFPRI): IN 2022, NML COLLABORATED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IFPRI) UNDER THE CGIAR SEED EQUAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE. THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF SEED OF IMPROVED, CLIMATE-RESILIENT, MARKET- PREFERRED AND NUTRITIOUS VARIETIES OF PRIORITY CROPS THAT EMBODY A HIGH RATE OF GENETIC GAIN TO FARMERS, ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR WOMEN AND OTHER DISADVANTAGED GROUPS. NMLS STUDY EXAMINED EFFORTS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR SEED TRADE IN UGANDA, INCLUDING ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING REGULATORY GAPS AND PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES. THE STUDY APPLIED NMLS REGULATORY SYSTEMS MAPS, A LEGAL AND REGULATORY TOOL THAT VISUALLY DEPICTS REGULATORY SYSTEMS, PROCESSES, PROCEDURES, AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN A STEP-BY-STEP MANNER, EMPHASIZING GAPS, BOTTLENECKS, AND GOOD PRACTICES FOUND IN LAW AND PRACTICE (KUHLMANN, 2021; KUHLMANN AND DEY, 2021, KUHLMANN ET AL., 2017).WPA INC.: IN 2022, NML PARTNERED WITH WPA INC., WITH FUNDING FROM AGRA, TO CONDUCT A LEGAL AND REGULATORY ASSESSMENT OF THE POULTRY, MAIZE, AND SOYBEAN VALUE