Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Farmer-codeveloped ordinance on agriculture (Sustainable Agriculture Code of the Municipality of Arakan, North Cotabato, Philippines)

In 2013, Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) facilitated the development of the Agriculture Code of Arakan, North Cotabato. The code compiled all existing local ordinances on agriculture and added new provisions that would reflect the desire of the communities for a sustainable agricultural system. To develop the agricultural code, SEARICE and the Municipality of Arakan co-organized an ordinance-writing workshop for farmer leaders (women and men) of the municipality, led by a lawyer working with SEARICE. The Draft Code was then submitted for consideration and adoption. Provisions include (1) management, utilization, exchange and development of PGRFA, including protection of local seed systems and institutionalization of community seed banks; (2) municipal guaranteed protection of farmer-bred varieties, including the institutionalization of a seed registry and protection against misappropriation; (3) free access to seed for all farmers; (4) a ban on genetically modified organisms (GMO); (4) facilitating and monitoring access and benefit-sharing, including through the Arakan Farmers’ Trust Fund; (5) protection and promotion of Farmers’ Rights; (6) provision of incentives for farmer-breeders of traditional and indigenous varieties; (7) development of a loan assistance program; and (8) commitment to make an annual Farmers’ Day a permanent part of the Municipal Foundation Anniversary.
DOI10.71477/ZQM9-T197
Most relevant categories
  1. Training, capacity development and public awareness creation
Also relevant categories
  1. Recognition of local and indigenous communities’, farmers’ contributions to conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, such as awards and recognition of custodian/guardian farmers
  2. Financial contributions to support farmers conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA such as contributions to benefit-sharing funds
  3. Approaches to encourage income-generating activities to support farmers’ conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA
  4. Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge
  5. In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites
  6. Facilitation of farmers’ access to a diversity of PGRFA through community seed banks, seed networks and other measures improving farmers’ choices of a wider diversity of PGRFA.
  7. Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection
  8. Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels
  9. Training, capacity development and public awareness creation
Institution/organizationGovernment organization
Provision of Art. 9 addressedArt. 9.1; Art. 9.2a; Art. 9.2b; Art. 9.2c; Art. 9.3
TypesAdministrative
CountriesPhilippines
RegionsAsia
KeywordsBenefit-sharing; Farmers’ Rights; Local varieties; PGRFA
Resource linkhttps://www.fao.org/3/ca8193en/ca8193en.pdf
Citation Other citation styles
ITPGRFA (2025) “Farmer-codeveloped ordinance on agriculture (Sustainable Agriculture Code of the Municipality of Arakan, North Cotabato, Philippines)” ITPGRFA Secretariat, Inventory of national measures, best practices and lessons learned from the realization of Farmers’ Rights, as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty. doi:10.71477/ZQM9-T197
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