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Attendees of the National Farmer-Breeders’ Conference (NFBC) organized by Fastenopfer together with Agro-eco Philippines, PINA, and SEARICE formed the first ever National Seed Network.

The National Seed Network aims to look after the interests of Filipino farmers. 

The eighty-strong attendees also issued a declaration to advance Filipino farmers’ rights over seeds and other plant genetic resources.

“One of our nation’s wealth lie in the traditional knowledge and practices of our farmers. Supporting farmers mean supporting national development, growth, and social cohesion,” part of the declaration read.

The declaration further called on the Philippine government to “champion a national transition to sustainable, ecological agriculture, with focus on enabling peasants, small-scale producers, and local and indigenous communities to adapt to climate change, ensure adequate public financing for agriculture, and avoid questionable technological fixes and market mechanisms and put smallholder farmers, especially women, indigenous peoples and local communities, at the heart of decision-making around these critical agricultural policy decisions.”

Held in Davao City, Philippines from October 9-10, 2018, the conference served as venue for thorough discussion on policy, issues, and concerns pertaining to plant genetic resources (PGR) and farmers’ rights to seeds, providing a better understanding of the important role of farmers as plant breeders and curators in ensuring food security. 

Besides the creation of the National Seeds Network and the release of the declaration on farmers’ rights to seeds, the conference also ended with agreements on concrete actions and recommendations to address gaps, issues, and challenges in the realization of farmers’ rights to seeds

THE PHILIPPINES
A National Seed Network Formed During

the First-ever National Farmer-Breeders Conference 

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