Workshop at FAO Headquarters, Rome — “Community Biodiversity Management” (22 September 2017); organized by DIVERSIFOOD with Bioversity International and the ITPGRFA
This report documents a DIVERSIFOOD-organised workshop held at FAO Headquarters in Rome on 22 September 2017 that brought together representatives of Community Seed Banks (CSBs) from Europe and the Global South, researchers, and international institutions (Bioversity International and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture). The report is structured in three parts: (I) presentations and discussion with international institutions on the concept of Community Biodiversity Management and the role of CSBs in seed systems and in projects funded by the ITPGRFA; (II) eight country case studies illustrating CSB experiences, functions and technical approaches; and (III) outcomes from a stakeholder workshop including a SWOT analysis of CSBs. Main messages are that CSBs perform dynamic on-farm and community-based conservation, facilitate access to locally adapted seed, link ex-situ and on-farm systems, and support participatory breeding and seed exchange. Challenges identified include lack of steady funding, limited technical capacity and infrastructure, and restrictive regulatory environments. The report emphasises the need for stronger recognition of CSBs within national and international policy frameworks, enhanced cooperation between CSBs and formal genebanks, capacity-building, multi-actor research, and mechanisms to implement Farmers’ Rights and benefit-sharing under the Treaty.
Key topics: community seed banks, community biodiversity management, ITPGRFA, benefit-sharing fund, on-farm conservation, participatory plant breeding, seed policy, agrobiodiversity
