Our Stories

In celebration of Women’s Month and the International Year of the Woman Farmer “ Ang kaya ng lalaki, kaya rin ng babae .” (Women can do what men can do.) – Joventina Ong, Bago City, Negros Occidental When people imagine farming, the image we immediately picture is often men tending the fields. But the quote above carries two meanings at once: an affirmation of women’s capability and a response to long histories of exclusion in agricultural spaces. As the United Nations declar

We often talk about eating organic. But what if the meat on our plates came from animals fed organic, locally grown food? In the Philippines, where livestock feeds often rely on imported and genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredients, local indigenous pulses—such as mung beans and kadyos—can support a more sustainable and organic food system through feed formulation. Turning Indigenous Pulses into Livestock Feed In Filipino households, local crops and vegetables are inco

SURABAYA, January 28, 2026  —During the Workshop on Plant Variety Protection, Farmers’ Rights, and the Development of the Indonesian Seed Sector, Normita Ignacio, Executive Director of SEARICE, presented critical insights into the impacts of UPOV 1991, drawing on Vietnam's experience. Her presentation highlighted the complex realities behind plant variety protection (PVP) systems and raised important questions about their implications for farmers, public research institutions

Kusina ni Tantsa is a recipe book that celebrates the rich culture, plant biodiversity, and lived experiences of farmers in Negros Occidental, Philippines. It features traditional dishes made from undervalued and climate-resilient crops that sustain local food systems and strengthen community nutrition.

On November 26, 2025, at the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body (GB11), SEARICE joined long-standing partners from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Asociación ANDES – Association for Nature and Sustainable Development (ANDES), Peru, Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT), Zimbabwe, the Sprouts Collective, and the Farmer Seeds Network (FSN) in the side event “Technical and Institutional Reflections on Catalyzing Change in PGRFA Management.

Designing sustainable agricultural systems begins in fields where farmers experiment, adapt, and survive. Their evolving and even traditional practices are a crucial aspect of restoring soils, reclaiming seeds, and reshaping food systems, which neighboring practices can learn from.  The learning exchange from Vietnam has a total of 16 participants from Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

If farmers are the roots of our food systems, then collaboration must be the rain that sustains them — not the storm that washes them away. In her presentation at the 2nd Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights, SEARICE Executive Director Normita Ignacio shared why partnerships must put farmers at the center.