The governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have unveiled a new joint initiative — the Alliance of Agricultural Seed Producers of the Sahel (APSA-Sahel) — aimed at strengthening local food systems and reducing reliance on foreign seed imports.
The alliance, formed under the broader framework of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), seeks to promote seed sovereignty by developing and distributing climate-resilient seeds tailored to the region’s harsh environmental conditions. Officials say the move represents a significant step toward economic and agricultural independence in the Sahel.
Announced by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Agriculture Denis Ouédraogo, the APSA-Sahel initiative will focus on three core goals:
Producing and promoting seeds adapted to the Sahel’s climate.
Enabling free circulation of these seeds among AES member states.
Strengthening regional food autonomy through cooperative research and development.
This seed initiative comes as the three governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso continue their breakaway from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), forming alternative institutions aimed at deeper regional integration. The APSA-Sahel is part of a broader effort to reduce external dependency amid rising geopolitical tensions and economic sanctions.
In recent months, the AES bloc has taken other major steps toward regional independence, including launching a shared passport system to enhance mobility and formally exiting the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, laying the groundwork for an intra-AES trade regime.
By pooling scientific expertise, agricultural infrastructure, and financial resources, the APSA-Sahel hopes to equip farmers with better tools to face food insecurity and climate shocks, while also fostering a shared sense of sovereignty and resilience.
Observers say the move could reshape how the Sahel approaches development, marking a clear shift toward self-reliant economic planning in the wake of political and institutional reconfigurations across the region.