Despite its vast agriculture potential, Africa is increasingly dependent on food imports from the rest of the world to satisfy its consumption needs.
... See More + Food output has not kept pace with population growth, and more than 80 percent of production gains since 1980 have come from the expansion of cropped areas rather than from greater productivity of areas already cultivated. This paper looks at the current requirements for seed trade in Africa, the obstacles, status of ongoing plans for regional harmonization, challenges of harmonization, and opportunities for near-term improvement. With Africa increasingly dependent on food imports, regional economic communities have been discussing harmonized seed policies for many years. While agreement on key regulations pertaining to variety release, seed certification, and phytosanitary control is now falling into place, improved farmer access to quality seeds are many years away due to capacity limitations and legal obstacles. Without relying on complex rules, experience elsewhere shows there are many simple options for improved seed trade that African governments can implement directly while continuing to work towards full harmonization.
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Working Paper (Numbered Series) 81834 OCT 01, 2013
This Results Profile talks about enhancing enterprise competitiveness in Moldova. The unfavorable business environment was one of the main constraints to improvements in productivity and competitiveness of Moldovan enterprises.
... See More + The Competitiveness Enhancement Project supported major improvements in the business environment in Moldova, reducing the time required to register a company and comply with regulatory requirements and cutting the number of annual inspections. Further, the project improved competitiveness and export capacity of businesses by supporting implementation of International Organization for Standardization quality certification and offering exporter’s access to long-term financing.
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