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Establishing resilient community-managed seed systems

Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) considers the empowerment of farming communities at the forefront of agricultural production as the most sensible way to making local seed systems resilient. Thus, SEARICE projects include the development of community-managed seed systems as a key outcome of its various projects. For the purposes of this documentation, however, we describe only the initiative implemented in the project ‘Building Resilient Community- Managed Seed Systems towards Climate Change Adaptation’ in the Philippines and Cambodia (2013- 2015), in collaboration with government units in each of the participating countries. It made significant contributions towards the technical empowerment of farmers in 55 project communities in seven (7) and nine (9) provinces in Cambodia and the Philippines, respectively. The capacities of 1,546 men and women (832 or 53%) farmers to manage crop genetic diversity and strengthen their local seed systems to adapt to the changing climatic conditions have been enhanced through Farmer Field Schools on community-managed seed systems. Previously disadvantaged farmers, they too have been organized to gain social and political influence, actively assert their rights and interests and pursue activities collectively to develop further their resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Most relevant categories	Training, capacity development and public awareness creation
Also relevant categories	Recognition of local and indigenous communities’, farmers’ contributions to conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, such as awards and recognition of custodian/guardian farmers Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites 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. Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels Training, capacity development and public awareness creation
Institution/organization	Civil Society Organization; Non Governmental Organization
Provision of Art. 9 addressed	Art. 9.1; Art. 9.2a; Art. 9.2c; Art. 9.3
Types	Technical
Countries	Cambodia; Philippines
Regions	Asia
Keywords	Capacity development; Crop diversity; Farmers’ Field school; Local varieties; PGRFA; Seed system; Smallholder farmers
Resource link	https://www.fao.org/3/ca8194en/ca8194en.pdf

Most relevant categories

Training, capacity development and public awareness creation

Also relevant categories

Recognition of local and indigenous communities’, farmers’ contributions to conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, such as awards and recognition of custodian/guardian farmers
Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge
In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites
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.
Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels
Training, capacity development and public awareness creation

Institution/organization

Civil Society Organization; Non Governmental Organization

Provision of Art. 9 addressed

Art. 9.1; Art. 9.2a; Art. 9.2c; Art. 9.3

Types

Technical

Countries

Cambodia; Philippines

Regions

Asia

Keywords

Capacity development; Crop diversity; Farmers’ Field school; Local varieties; PGRFA; Seed system; Smallholder farmers

Resource link

https://www.fao.org/3/ca8194en/ca8194en.pdf

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