European food policy has been a disaster for the biodiversity and robustness of the African seed industry. This was not intentional.
It took me awhile, but I now understand why I can't get the seed supplies I needed to help small farmers stop starvation in Uganda or other African countries. Initially I noted that most African countries have a very limited number of seed suppliers and that these seed suppliers sold a very limited number of products. I also was told by Ugandan personnel that they wanted to use only non-GMO seeds.
After a little investigation I determined that African countries sell most of their vegetables in the European market and Europeans wanted to buy only non-GMO products. They noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between a GMO seed product and a non-GMO seed product. Most African countries limit the number of seed companies in their country and limit the import of seeds into their country to ensure that they are selling only non-GMO products.
It also is very difficult and expensive to get an Import Permit to import seeds into an African country even when you are importing seeds that have been declared to be non-GMO by a US grower such as those at Seed Saver Exchange. I must use only the seeds that are available in Uganda unless I want to spend more than two years to get the proper Import Permit and Phytosanitary certification. I may need to wait a few years to obtain non-GMO, non-Hybrid green pole bean seeds or non-GMO, non-Hybrid corn seeds with strong stalks in Uganda if I am lucky. These seeds are very common in other parts of the world including Europe.
Dr. Paul Rigterink