A proposed regional framework for seed certification, registration, evaluation and plant variety protection has prompted renewed engagement by civil society organizations and smallholder farmer advocates across East Africa. The East African Community (EAC) Seeds and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025, introduced in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in June 2025, was due to enter public hearings on 27–28 August 2026. Ahead of the consultations, more than 60 participants joined an online meeting to discuss the Bill and coordinate submissions to the legislative process.

Participants from organizations including the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT) and SWISSAID expressed concerns that provisions on certification and plant variety protection could disadvantage farmer-managed seed systems. They argued that requirements for formal certification may restrict farmers’ ability to sell or exchange locally managed seeds and called for clearer recognition of farmers’ rights and community seed systems. Speakers also raised questions about the relationship between a harmonized regional framework and existing national seed legislation. These concerns reflect the positions of participating civil society representatives rather than established impacts of the proposed legislation.

The discussions highlight broader questions surrounding regional seed governance: how to facilitate seed trade and quality assurance while recognizing farmer-managed systems, locally adapted varieties and biodiversity. Civil society organizations planned to use the EALA hearings to present alternative proposals and advocate for greater consideration of farmers’ rights in the Bill’s further deliberation.