How it works

The Access to Seeds Index is founded on the premise that the seed industry can make a significant contribution to the productivity of smallholder farmers. As an independent source of information, the Index seeks to stimulate an informed dialogue on the ways in which companies can step up their efforts. It also serves as a means for companies to benchmark their own progress and that of their peers as well as identify areas for improvement. The indicators used to evaluate company performance are based on the expectations of stakeholders in and around the seed industry.

The Index is published in a three-step ‘Index cycle’. During the first step, the methodology for the Access to Seeds Index is developed, after consultation with stakeholders and experts. In the second step, company performance is analyzed, resulting in an Access to Seeds Index. After publication, the third step of dialogue and consultation starts in order to discuss the Index’s findings and insights. After this final stage, the cycle starts again, using insights from the consultation phase to review the methodology. As such the Access to Seeds Index aims to monitor progress over time and enable an ongoing learning process.