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SEARICE expands operations to Africa; focuses on climate change and irrigation in 2009 PDF Print E-mail

by Teresa L. Debuque

The expansion to Africa of SEARICE's Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) Mainstreaming Project and a program emphasis on Seeds and Climate Change and Irrigation were among the major decisions arrived at during SEARICE's Board of Trustees Meeting held last February 18-19, 2009 in Kichu Resort, Wandue, Bhutan.

Four Board members attended the meeting, namely, Mr. Danthong Breen and Mr. Chanetwallop Nicolas Khumthong from Thailand; and Mr. Rene Salazar and Mr. Antonio La Viña from the Philippines. Also present were members of SEARICE staff, including Ms. Wilhelmina Pelegrina (Executive Director), Ms. Normita Ignacio (CBDC BUCAP Regional Coordinator), Ms. Merigine Otara (Technical Officer cum Deputy Coordinator of Bohol Project), Ms. Corazon de Jesus Jr. (Policy Unit Co-coordinator), and Ms. Alice F. Labado, OIC, Administrative and Finance Unit.

(Above: [standing, L-R]: Mr. Rene Salazar; Mrs. Chanet Nicolas Khumthong; Ms. Nori Ignacio; Ms. Ditdit Pelegrina; Mr. Chanet Nicolas Khumthong; Ms. Alice Labado; and Ms. Merigine Otara; [seated, L-R]: Mr. Antonio La Vina; and Mr. Danthong Breen)

In addition, the Board members discussed the status of SEARICE's ongoing work and the need to define exit strategies for its current programs.

The National Biodiversity Center (NBC), with the assistance of Singay Dorji and Ugyen Phunso, hosted the meeting. It has been the practice of SEARICE board to rotate the venue of the board meeting among countries where SEARICE is implementing projets. In 2008, the meeting was held in Vietnam. Next year's meeting is scheduled to be held in Laos.

While in Bhutan, the members of SEARICE's Board had a chance to meet with the Secretary of Agriculture of Bhutan and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative of India in a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Board members also attended a seed fair in Damphu, Tsirang and met with the governor of the province. (See pictures below.)

(Below: Governor of Tsirang (left, foreground) talking to Ms. Nori Ignacio and Mr. Danthong Breen.)

(Above: Mr. Rene Salazar [left] at the seed fair.)
 
Why is SEARICE Working on Plant Genetic Resources? PDF Print E-mail
Plant Genetic Resources (PGRs), or simply seeds, are humanity's source of food, fuel, medicine, shelter and clothes. While PGRs originated from previous generations and from specific farming communities that cultured and nurtured seeds, they have been shared widely and are considered as part of the global commons. However, recent developments in agriculture production systems, particularly the promotion of homogeneous crop varieties, threaten the diversity of PGRs.

In recent years, farmers’ access to PGRs and their traditional role of conserving and managing these resources have been increasingly reduced alongside the loss of PGR diversity, the bias and massive promotion of technologies favoring the use of homogenous crop varieties, and the enforcement of various proprietary rights regimes, such as patents on seeds.
 
Vision, Mission and Goals PDF Print E-mail

The Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) is a regional non-government development organization that promotes and implements community-based conservation, development and sustainable use of plant genetic resources in partnership with civil society organizations, government agencies, academic research institutions and local government units in Bhutan, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Established on June 1977, SEARICE is registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a non-stock, non-profit organization based in the Philippines.

Vision:

To work for the creation of a just democratic civil society which upholds peoples’ initiatives towards the creative and sustainable utilization of the earth's resources.

Mission:

To assist in the development of civil society and contribute to the search for a new development paradigm.

Goals:

  • Empower farming and indigenous communities through agricultural research and development;
  • Strengthen the control of farming and indigenous communities over agricultural resources and technologies such as plant genetic resources, and pest and soil management;
  • Work towards policy and structural reforms to ensure the conservation biodiversity in agriculture;
  • Assist in the development of policies at all levels -national, regional and global - to support farmers' control over their resources;
  • Strengthen community organizing work to facilitate and support peoples' control over their resources;
  • Facilitate the establishment of self reliant grassroots organizations through education, training and linkages; and
  • Assist local and indigenous communities, peoples' organizations and grassroots development workers in understanding the implications of global and regional trends in matters affecting plant genetic resources conservation and development through information sharing and dissemination, popularization of information, and education campaigns.