East-West Seed’s best practices on the implementation of Article 9 (Farmers’ Rights) of the ITPGRFA

East-West Seed is a private seed company focusing on vegetable seed production for tropical conditions. It has developed several ‘good practices’ for the implementation of Article 9 of the International Treaty. For example, the company maintains strong ties with national genebanks; a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2018 between East- West Seed Co. Inc.-Philippines (EWPH) and the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory (NPGRL) to collaborate on crop germplasm conservation, research and training. EWPH will assist NPGRL in reviving, regenerating and characterizing its old germplasm collection and to provide trainings relating to germplasm conservation. EWPH also maintains a pool of smallholder farmers known as Product Development Support (PDS) farmers, who conduct on-farm trials of newly bred vegetable varieties. These PDS farmers take an active role in deciding which newly bred vegetable varieties will be introduced in the market. Since 2000, EWPH has further engaged in extension and knowledge transfer activities in the Philippines and other countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, India and Tanzania) by organizing farmer field schools, setting up demonstration farms, conducting field days and harvest festivals to promote profitable and sustainable production practices.