The SeedCLIR: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) study assesses the enabling environment for seed across six provinces in eastern DRC. Applying the Seed Commercial, Legal, and Institutional Reform (SeedCLIR) analytical tool, the study evaluates the challenges facing eastern DRC’s informal seed sector and the prospects for transforming it into one supportive of reliable access to affordable, quality seed for smallholder farmers.

Central to this goal is developing an enabling environment for private sector investment. An overreliance on donor interventions, weak public sector institutions, significant problems with quality and reliability due to counterfeits, and other issues inhibit or dis-incentivize private investment in eastern DRC’s seed sector.

Accounting for these enabling environment challenges, the study provides a roadmap for developing a commercially driven seed sector in eastern DRC. Sequenced reforms include strengthening and expanding the legal framework governing the seed sector, supporting institutional capacity building, and proposing regulatory measures to support regional integration and promote seed exports, such as accreditation to ensure quality control.

The study is a valuable examination of the challenges and opportunities for developing a supportive enabling environment for seed in fragile, chronically insecure country contexts.