NEW MARKETS LAB
200 Massachusetts Ave NW Ste 700, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 newmarketslab.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE CORPORATION IS ORGANIZED FOR THE CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF: ADVANCE THE SPREAD OF SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE ALONG AFRICA'S "DEVELOPMENT CORRIDORS" IN WAYS THAT MEASURABLY IMPROVE THE INCOME OF SMALL FARMERS AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO A DYNAMIC, INTERNATINALLY COMPETITIVE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

IN 2019, THE NEW MARKETS LAB PARTNERED WITH NEW AND EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS TO FURTHER ITS MISSION OF ADVANCING THE SPREAD OF SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE TO THE BENEFIT OF SMALL FARMERS AND COMMUNITIES AND LEVERAGING LAW AND REGULATION AS A TOOL TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN AN EVOLVING GLOBAL MARKET:American University: In 2019, the New Markets Lab hosted a fellow from the Distinguished Fellowship Program of American Universitys Washington College of Law (AUWCL) focused on conducting legal research, analysis, and writing.Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Since June 2019, NML has partnered with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) under their Supporting Seed Systems for Development activity (S34D), a project with support from USAID. NML conducted a study focused on bridging the regulatory environment for the informal and formal seed sectors in order to make seed systems more inclusive. The study aimed to identify global good practices in seed systems across three dimensions that include: 1) extending the market frontier in S34D geographies so that a wide range of actors can sell both varieties and quality enhanced seeds across a range of venues, (2) liberalization of seed quality policies and processes to increase the supply of quality enhanced seed for a wider range of crops, and 3) practical approaches that address seed counterfeiting and to circumscribe this negative practice. As the final output of the study, NML and CRS produced a report titled Using Regulatory Flexibility to Address Market Informality: A Global Study on Building Inclusive Seed Systems.Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE): Building on its work developing a best practices legal guide on the regulatory framework surrounding digital trade and e-commerce in 2018, NML continued its work with CIPE in 2019 supporting the development of the digital legal environment. NML evaluated a draft law on the digital economy in an East African country and completed a comparative analysis of similar systems. DAI Global: NML worked with EATIH on a USAID-funded project led by DAI to generate a situational analysis of the Kenya-Ethiopia Trade and Development Corridor (the Moyale Corridor). This situational analysis provided both an economic and legal diagnostic of factors affecting current trade flows along the Moyale Corridor, combining extensive desk and field research. The study analyzed how the corridor could deliver on its potential to improve regional agricultural trade and facilitate the movement of surplus staple foods to deficit areas. Among other outputs, NML developed a legal and regulatory analysis of the market environment, highlighting the key issues that affect trade between Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as offered targeted recommendations for strengthening the corridor over the short-, medium-, and long-term.Emerge Centre for Innovations-Africa (ECI-Africa): In 2019, NML began working with the East African Community (EAC) and Emerge Center for Innovations-Africa (ECI-Africa) with support from AGRA under the Partnership Project towards Catalyzing the Implementation of CAADP-Malabo 2017-2020 Business Plan. NML conducted an economic impact assessment and legal review and analysis of EAC seed and fertilizer legislation and developed the draft EAC Fertilizer Bill and Policy. The project has involved analyzing the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the seed sector in all six EAC Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda), assessing their alignment with the proposed EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, and conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the implications of the Seed Bill on the countries economies. Among the issues analyzed were the regulation of plant variety protection (PVP) and plant breeders rights (PBR) in the six EAC Partner States, benchmarking these against continental, regional, and international treaties as well as regional and international best practices. Several rounds of regional validation meetings have been held to validate the report and economic and legal analysis, as well as the draft EAC Fertilizer Bill and Policy. Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA): NML continues its partnership with SFSA under its Seeds2B program, collaborating on policy, legal, and regulatory interventions to scale seed systems at the national and regional levels. In 2019, NML developed manuals on regional seed regulation for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA Manual) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC Manual), which are designed to increase agricultural trade. The COMESA Manual was launched at the annual African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Congress in 2019. NML also continued to monitor progress on seed harmonization within the East African Community (EAC). NML continued work on test cases to stress test regional regulatory systems and determine how they work in practice, which have facilitated registration of nearly thirty seed varieties across seven crops in East Africa. NML also worked with SFSA on models for licensing agreements and intellectual property rights for plant breeders under the Partnership for Seed Technology Transfer in Africa (PASTTA) partnership supported by USAID which includes SFSA, NML, and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). In 2019, NML developed a Case Study on the KALRO-Kisima Farms Licensing Agreement which was used as a tool in capacity building workshops and engagement with stakeholders in Kenya and Senegal. Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA): In 2019, NML began working with the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) with support from AGRA to address gaps and opportunities in the enabling environment and promote the scaling up of good practices and agricultural finance product innovations in Uganda. NML, with input from FRIENDS Consult Ltd. in Uganda, developed a Diagnostic Review of the Current Legal and Regulatory Environment for Agricultural Finance in Uganda. NMLs work generated a comprehensive Synthesis Report with an in-depth analysis of existing policy and legal frameworks that govern agricultural finance, as well as related laws governing the agricultural sector, and an assessment of legal and regulatory gaps and their impact on the development of the agricultural financing landscape in Uganda. The legal and regulatory review was grounded in an economic assessment, including the potential impacts of reform options. The review analyzed over 60 laws, regulations, and policies relevant to agri-finance and agriculture within Uganda, and resulted in short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for reform. Some of the reports recommendations have been integrated into Ugandas legislative and regulatory priorities. NML remains engaged with UAA to the extent possible as the recommendations of the Diagnostic Review are in incorporated into the Ugandan legal system.

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