15th Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum workshop “Farmers’ Seed Systems in the Region of Central Asia and Eastern Europe: Experience, Challenges and Future Directions”, Scandicci, Florence, Italy
This presentation reviews the structure, role and challenges of formal and farmers’ seed systems in Armenia and outlines pathways to integrate them for greater resilience. It describes the coexistence of certified commercial seed systems and decentralized farmer-managed seed systems, highlights the historical transformation since the Soviet era, and notes Armenia’s 2024 accession to UPOV as an influencing factor for future governance. Key gaps identified include limited legal recognition for farmers’ seeds, regulatory emphasis on registered varieties and certification, weak collaboration between breeders and farmers, and fragmented institutional roles. Recommended pathways focus on policy recognition of farmers’ seed systems, strengthening community seed initiatives and on-farm conservation, promoting participatory plant breeding and formal–informal linkages, and regional cooperation across Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Key topics: farmers’ seed systems, seed governance, seed legislation, UPOV membership, participatory plant breeding, community seed systems, agrobiodiversity, LLD Forum, LLD2026
