M&B Seeds

Stakeholder engagement
M&B Seeds undertakes stakeholder engagement activities with several organizations, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) and nongovernmental organizations such as Africare. These activities include improvements in seed production, demonstration programmes and capacity building through farmer trainings. Outcomes of the company’s stakeholder engagement include wider distribution of seeds, along with additional demonstrations and trainings. Together, these have enhanced the company’s access to seeds strategy.

Access to seeds for smallholder farmers and governance and accountability
The company’s mission focuses on seed production and marketing and sales. However, M&B Seeds could further develop its access to seeds strategy by specifying its objectives and time-bound targets and designating oversight of its strategy to its highest governance body.

No relevant disclosure was found for the company in the genetic resources and intellectual property management measurement area.

Plant breeding activities in index regions and variety testing
M&B Seeds conducts variety trials in Ghana, the only country where it is active, with research institutes such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The company could expand its collaborative research portfolio to focus on local crops that are important for smallholder farmers in the index region.

Seed production activities in index region
The company reports having a seed production location in Ghana and involving local companies, farmer organisations and farmers in seed production. Its seeds are produced through a network of over 100 smallholder out-growers. The company could consider disclosing additional details on its seed production activities.

Quality management in seed production in index countries
To ensure quality, M&B Seeds has an internal management system that covers all of its seed production in index countries. Quality check for the company is carried out by the national seed inspectors for all the seeds produced by the company.

Social and labour rights in seed production
While the company commits to prohibiting child labour and forced labour and it recognises the health and safety risks to smallholder farmers in its seed production activities, it has an opportunity to disclose a coordinated and consistent monitoring system for these issues both when seed production is carried out by the company itself or through an intermediary. Furthermore, the company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediaries to do the same.

Packaging and labelling
M&B Seeds offers a track and trace system for its seed packaging in Ghana through a project with AGRA and NASTAG. The company offers seed packages that have appropriate sizes for smallholder farmers in the region, including 1 kg and 10 kg packages. However, the company has an opportunity to disclose whether it uses local languages on seed packaging.

Distribution channels
The company services remote areas in Ghana through its network of agro-dealers and company offices, though it could expand its distribution channels to other index countries in the region.

Diverse portfolio
The company only has a few varieties for the majority of crops in Ghana, so it could further diversify its portfolio to offer more varieties and more seed types for each crop.

Extension services
Together with Agricultural Services Ghana Limited, M&B Seeds offers training and agronomic advice for farmers in Ghana. The company has reached 700,000 smallholder farmers in the region through these services. The company has an opportunity to disclose additional information regarding its activities in this measurement area.

Cowpea
Maize
Rice

Cowpea
Groundnut
Maize
Rice, paddy
Sorghum
Soya bean

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