1) Major findings and actions in community-based genetic resources conservation and management in southwest China involved 22 rural communities in 2 provinces, collaborating with research institutes, universities, and NGOs to conduct surveys and workshops. 2) Climate change, decreasing biodiversity, and loss of traditional knowledge threatened local varieties; however, 170 landraces showed remarkable diversity and adaptation. 3) Actions included community-based seed production, farmer exchanges for conservation and management, reintroducing traditional knowledge, and establishing a national farmer seed network.

1. Major Findings and Actions in
community-based GRs conservation and management
in SW China
Yiching Song
SIFOR China Team,
Farmer Seed Network (China)

2. Montain A
in Sout
China
Plain
5 ethnic groups from 22 rural communities in
Karst area in 2 SW Provinces (Yunnan, Guangxi)
•CCAP/CAS, ICS/CASS, GAAS, YAAS, GAAS
•NGOs: ANH, MVNCC etc……
•Policy Institutes (MOA, MOEP…)
•Universities(Renmin U, Minzu U)
•Based on our 15 years of PPB exploration
and collaboration

3. Seed Road…. ….
1998, 2008, 2012, 2014….
2014 11 15
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MCI SEED LAW PROPOSAL
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4. Base line Survey Sampling
(2013)
Level Total GX YN
Househol
d
344 221 123
Village 29 17 12
Township 12 2 10
County 9 2 7
province 2 1 1
Altitude Range: 200m to 3500m
Ethnic groups: Naxi, Yao, Zhuang, Mulao, Lishu,Han,
云南
省 /YN
广西
省 /GX

5. Climate change affected all the communities i.e.
big drought, extreme whether, increasing pest (1)
Farmers observation of Climate Change during 2002-2012
GX (%) YN (%)
Unusual Rain fall 70.1 61.8
temperature (summer/winter)
78.7 28.5
wind strength 12.2 13.0
Sun shine 23.1 2.4
River water flow 34.4 17.9
Drought 37.1 80.5
flood 22.6 13.8
Insects/Pests 69.2 39.0
Diseases (animal &crop)
40.3 12.2
Extreme whether 5.9 6.5
Mud-rock flow
0.9 *

6. -Biodiversity is decreasing rapidly, losing
related TK and Traditional culture, values(2)
--
50 native varieties despaired in the
last 10 years, including 13 rice, 10
maize, 6 beans etc, e.g. traditional
crops is despairing e.g. high land
barley, sorghum, oak etc
Reasons for losing: hybrids,
low productivity, labor shortage etc
For keeping: drought
resistance, quality, test and nutrition,
culture needs, emotional &spiritual
needs ……

7. Scientific evidence: for enhancing recognition
of landraces, TK and farmers’ roles ….(3),
2010…2014…
 170 landraces had been assigned into 2 groups clearly with remarkable diversity,
two maize agro-ecosystems
 The same germplasm (30 years ago and now) are different, in field ones are more
diversity rich and adaptive to changes ….. Adaptation, evolution…
 The genetic structure of the landraces was well compatible with geographical pattern.
Gene flow occurred in the SW
 Characteristic diversification due to the bio-ecological environments, farmers’
selection based on their rich culture, TK and diversified livelihood needs

8. Roles of Landraces: for local adaptive process,
as living lab/base for scientific breeding.. (4)
-”Farmers have done
what the state and
scientists neglected
and should received
more regonition and
support!,, need more
PPB and collaboration”
Dr. Shhuang Zhang
Hybrid
Variety,
杂交种

9. Seed Sovereignty for Food Sovereignty
and Adaptation

10. Community based seed production
by women farmer group and cooperatives
--community parent line development of
PPB hybrid V
--share seed and K with other communities
in GX and YN
--experiment seed production of other Vs

11. Farmer to farmer exchanges for conservation,
management and seed production and exchange
-3 PPB experiment villages in 3 townships in 2013
---Continue PPB in 2014…..
•seed production in GX
•Starting 1 community in
Yunnan….. in 2014

12. Enhancing Farmers’ GRs and TK and Innovation
System through on farm management and CSA
Reintroduce TK
farming methods
Urban—Rural
Linkage

13. 13
石头城农民传统文化和种子交易会
Farmers TK System
农民系统
poor and remote area
OPVs and landraces,
seed selection and maintenance
Farmer to farmer seed exchange
better off green revolution area
several high yielding hybrids
hybrid breeding,
top-down formal seed system
Technology transfer,
Formal System
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Breeders
Seed Company
Extension
farmers farmers
farmers
Seed Park in the Stone Village set up in
2013,--2014
•Naxi people’s early settlement and spiritual homeland
•sitting on a rocky mountain overlooking Yangtze river
•Home of 220 Naxi families from 6 natural villages
• a biodiversity hotspot, with over staple 20 food crops and
about 180 native varieties
With a history of 1400 years of terrace farming

14. Farmer Exchange in Potato Park and CIP in Peru
Seed Exchange plan among
communities in 3 countries
technicaly supported by CIP

15. Dec 2013,involving 22 rural communities,
4 public Agriculture R Org (CAAS,CAS)
2 Universities, NGOs, TWN,
MOA, MOE,
-Farmer seed conservation, on farm management and
Management, PVS, PPB.. Info and
Seed exchange and sharing among
farmers and with scientists
-policy dialogue…3 Suggestions for
“seed law” Revision to protec
Farmers’ rights, 1 accepted by PC
in Oct 2014
-first news letter, Nov, 15, 2014
National Farmer Seed Network
2014 11 15
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MCI SEED LAW PROPOSAL
VOL.1
2014’
WORKSHOP

16. Exchange workshop and policy dialogue in April 2014, Beijing

17. Farmers’ active roles

18. Community Exchange and annual planning
（ 2015.1, Nanning ）

19. Seed, food, culture

20. Farmer Seed Network (china)
农民种子网络
微信公众号： zhongziwangluo

21. 21
石头城农民传统文化和种子交易会
Farmers TK System
农民系统
poor and remote area
OPVs and landraces,
seed selection and maintenance
Farmer to farmer seed exchange
better off green revolution area
several high yielding hybrids
hybrid breeding,
top-down formal seed system
Technology transfer,
Formal System
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Breeders
Seed Company
Extension
farmers farmers
farmers
Welcome/ 欢迎！