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In the dynamic landscape of modern agriculture, technological innovation plays a crucial role in meeting the growing challenges of food security and sustainability. West Africa is faced with the challenge of connecting players in the seed value chain. To address this issue, the ABEE project(Strengthening Networks and Institutional Capacities in Plant Breeding for the Development of Resilient Crops for Smallholder Producers in West Africa), led by CORAF, has taken the initiative of developing an innovative knowledge platform, " E-CHAIN ", to effectively connect players in the seed value chain through ICT tools. E-CHAIN stands out as a catalyst for the transformation of the seed industry in West Africa, offering demand-driven solutions that reinvent the agricultural value chain.

The E-CHAIN platform overcomes the challenges of fragmentation and isolation of players in the seed value chain. At the heart of this revolution is an integrated approach to digital agriculture, which is today at the heart of the transformation of innovative practices in the agricultural sector. This synergy of technologies enables E-CHAIN to fundamentally rethink every aspect of seed production, distribution and management.

" It is recognized that, in view of the growing need for food over the next 20 years due to the rapid increase in the population, varietal improvement of basic crops is one of the levers to be used to respond effectively to this problem. This is why the ABEE Project is so important. It aims to implement a better-coordinated approach to varietal selection at both national and regional levels, placing breeders at the heart of the action to improve and modernize their selection practices," asserts Dr. Ousmane NDOYE, ABEE Project Coordinator. 

The Integrated Breeding Platform, a member of the ABEE project, has developed E-CHAIN, an integrated digital information system for coordinating, boosting and making profitable seed value chains (SVCs) across different production systems, which will involve stakeholders, particularly women and young people, from variety development through to markets. E-Chain also provides an interactive forum for public and private sector players in SVCs, enabling them to post and access information, knowledge and products for their respective activities. 

Using participatory approaches, E-Chain supports the demand-driven development of new crop varieties, digitally capturing the knowledge, preferences and requirements of all CVS stakeholders, while facilitating real-time access to products and protocols (using ICT tools) for seed availability and traceability, good agronomic practices, climate data and market preferences. E-Chain comprises 5 components, including a knowledge module (KM), a survey application (which captures the requirements and preferences of target farmers, processors and consumers), a farmer application (agricultural data and advisory services), a seed management system (seed production, traceability, availability and cost) and a breeding management system (BMS - mature system for variety development).To ensure widespread adoption, the E-CHAIN platform is hosted on the cloud, enabling rapid and easy deployment. As part of the ABEE project, training, awareness-raising and internal communication initiatives are being undertaken to familiarize potential users with the platform. The ultimate aim is to integrate E-CHAIN into the work processes of every player in the seed value chain.

To ensure sustainable adoption and ownership, the ABEE project plans to set up a system for managing access rights, guaranteeing data quality, relevance and security, facilitating use of the platform, maintaining and updating content, fostering collaboration between stakeholders, and introducing modern tools for information retrieval. With this in mind, each ABEE project partner at national level has developed institutional data management policies to ensure successful and sustainable adoption. 

The European Union-funded ABEE project, through the E-CHAIN platform, is opening up new prospects for agricultural development in West Africa by connecting players in the seed value chain. E-CHAIN bears witness to the positive impact of technological innovations on agriculture, and illustrates CORAF's commitment.